


Intoxicated

by Bow_Woww



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxious Katsuki Yuuri, Chris is a good friend, Coach!Chris, Dancing, Friendship, M/M, Mild Angst, Miscommunication, Rating might go up, Self-Esteem Issues, lots of flirting, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26330290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bow_Woww/pseuds/Bow_Woww
Summary: Chris grinned at him. “I’m here to coach you! I’ll help you get to the Grand Prix Finals, and I’ll help you win...Victor’s heart!”Yuuri gaped at him. “Excuse me?”-------In which the triplets are stopped from uploading the video of Yuuri skating Victor's routine and Chris is tired of his friends being whiny so he steps in to play matchmaker.
Relationships: Christophe Giacometti & Katsuki Yuuri, Christophe Giacometti & Victor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 87
Kudos: 193





	1. Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, two uploads in one day! I've given up on finishing things before I post, sorry. I've had chapter 1 done for a while and I felt like I needed to even out some of the angst from my other upload today. 
> 
> So this is based on this lovely comic on Tumblr: https://mud-muffin.tumblr.com/post/155917646938/one-of-my-friends-mentioned-of-fun-it-would-be-if You should all go check it out! I saw this and immediately needed a fic of it. Only took me a year to start...

“I told you girls, you can’t use my account without asking!” Yuuko huffed as she angrily waved a cell phone in front of her daughters’ faces. “Apologize to Yuuri for recording him without his permission!” She pointed across the ice, glaring at her triplets until they obediently turned around and bowed their heads at Yuuri.

“We’re sorry,” the triplets said in unison.

Yuuri couldn’t make out their faces without his glasses, but based on their body language, he wasn’t sure if he believed that they were actually sorry. Still, there was no harm done. Yuuko had stopped them before they could post a video of him skating  _ Stammi Vicino _ , much to Yuuri’s relief. He couldn’t imagine what would have happened if Victor had seen him skating the Russian champion’s routine! He’d probably be disgusted, watching a depressed, out of shape, has-been skater attempt to imitate him. Yuuri shuddered at the thought of Victor seeing him skate. 

“It’s alright,” he said finally, breaking out of his depressive musings. He skated forward, grabbing his glasses off the barrier so he could look at them properly. The triplets were wearing expressions of massive disappointment, muttering about how many views they could have gotten. “Could you delete it? I don’t want anyone to ever see that disaster.” 

Yuuko raised her eyebrows. “Are you sure? It was really good.” 

With a nod, Yuuri confirmed, “Yeah, I’m sure.”

Yuuko shrugged and started tapping on her phone. Her finger was hovering over the screen when she looked up at Yuuri again and said, “I’ll delete it off of my phone, I promise, but I’m sending it to you first.”

“Why?”

“I think someday, when you’re not feeling so down on yourself, you’ll appreciate having it. You really did perform wonderfully,” Yuuko replied gently. 

Yuuri shrugged. “Ok.” His phone buzzed from atop the barrier, and Yuuri made a mental note to delete it later.

There was a sudden booming laugh from behind him, followed by a heavy weight over his shoulders. Yuuri squeaked in surprise as he was almost pulled off balance by his other childhood friend. 

“These three are your biggest fans, you know!” Takeshi said cheerfully, ruffling Yuuri’s hair with a knuckle. 

Yuuri struggled to push him off, but his friend held on tight. “Hey! Cut it out!” He managed to wiggle out of Takeshi’s grasp, skating out of his reach and glaring at the older man.

Takeshi just laughed. “Oh come on, don’t you have time for your fans anymore?”

Yuuri started skating toward the barrier, adjusting his glasses that had been knocked askew. “I don’t have any fans,” Yuuri mumbled. 

“Hey, what are we then?” Takeshi called after him.

“You guys don’t count!” Yuuri insisted. 

“Well that’s rude,” one of the triplets whispered. “We should put that on our blog.” 

“Girls,” Yuuko warned. The triplets smiled innocently in response. 

Yuuri sighed. “Ok, I don’t have any  _ other _ fans.” 

“I highly doubt that,” Yuuko replied, handing Yuuri his water bottle. She waited until he was done drinking before asking, “Do you want to watch Victor’s routine? We’ve probably missed it live but I bet the girls could find a bootlegged version.” 

Shaking his head, Yuuri replied, “No thanks. I’m not really feeling up to watching skating right now.” 

Yuuko smiled sympathetically, and Takeshi gave him a rough, supportive slap on the back. “Ok,” she replied. “Well, if you want to skate, you’re welcome any time. We can give you your old key back.”

Yuuri smiled at his oldest friends. “Thank you.” 

“Don’t be a stranger, alright?” Takeshi said as he joined the rest of his family. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver key, which he handed to Yuuri.

Yuuri accepted the key and nodded gratefully. “I won’t,” he promised. He smiled at all of them one more time, and promised to sign autographs for the girls later after they wouldn’t stop pestering him. Then, he put his skate guards on and dragged himself toward the locker room, the smile slipping off his face as soon as he turned around. He should probably feel lucky to have the support of his friends, but instead it just reminded him of how many people he had disappointed. 

Once he was in the locker room, Yuuri plopped down on the bench, burying his head in his hands and groaning. What was he supposed to do? He didn’t want to stop skating, but he didn’t have a coach, or a plan. He was out of shape, lacking confidence, and he wasn’t even sure if any of his sponsors would still want him so he was probably out of money too. Yuuri scowled as he untied his skates, angry at himself for falling apart. The only thing that kept him from chucking his skates at the nearest wall was how expensive they were. Instead, he decided to go home and eat leftover katsudon. 

When Yuuri arrived home, he went straight into the kitchen and prepared a bowl for himself. He didn’t bother leaving the kitchen, leaning against the counter and scarfing down the delicious food. Mari walked through the kitchen and raised an eyebrow at him, but didn’t say anything. 

Once he was done and his bowl was washed, Yuuri tried to sneak away to his room. Despite his efforts, he was intercepted by a very drunk Minako. “Yuuuuuuuri!” she slurred. “You missed your sweetheart’s skate!” 

Yuuri tried to slip around her. “I’ll watch his performance later.” She held out an arm, surprisingly firm for someone who could barely stay upright. 

“Come onnnnn.” Minako was swaying on her feet. “You can’t stop skating. I need you to help me meet Victor! And all the other hot skaters.”

“I’m not going to stop skating,” Yuuri insisted, ignoring the second part of her statement.

“Then you need to lose weight.” She poked at Yuuri’s soft abdomen, and Yuuri swatted her hand away.

“I’m aware.” He really didn’t appreciate the constant reminders that Minako kept giving him. 

She hummed thoughtfully, the pitch raising nonsensically at the end. “And you need a coach.”

Yuuri finally managed to push past her. “I’m aware of that too.” He escaped down the hall, ignoring Minako’s babbling behind him. As soon as he was in his room, he closed the door firmly and collapsed on his bed. Yuuri looked around, surveying all of the Victors looking down on him. He tried to think about what Victor would do, but he knew that Victor would never have gotten himself into this situation in the first place. Victor wouldn’t have bombed two major competitions. Victor wouldn’t have parted ways with his coach. Victor wouldn’t have stress eaten until he was no longer a safe skating weight. 

With a groan, Yuuri rolled over, pulling his glasses off so he didn’t have to look at Victor’s face any more. He sighed into his pillow, squeezing his eyes shut. Tomorrow was a new day, maybe it would be better…

...Iit was not. Yuuri woke up to the sound of his mother’s fist pounding on his door, asking him to shovel snow. He groaned, his muscles protesting from the uncomfortable position he fell asleep in. It didn’t help that he had fallen asleep in his practice clothes, which were stiff with sweat. Yuuri sat up, rubbing his eyes and promising that he would be out to help soon. He stretched, feeling his muscles pop. 

After changing into clean clothes and throwing on a thick coat, hat, and gloves, Yuuri dragged himself out of his room, mumbling a greeting to his family on his way out. He grabbed a shovel, letting himself outside. The sun was reflecting off the snow, making him squint, and his breath was coming out in visible puffs. Yuuri didn’t mind the hard work, especially when his family had hot tea waiting for him when he was done. Once he finished, his mother patted his cheek gratefully as she handed him a steaming mug of fragrant tea. 

Other than the surprise snow storm, the rest of the week was uneventful. Yuuri still didn’t know what he was going to do about the next season, but he figured he might as well start getting in shape. He started running to Ice Castle, and skated figures and conditioning exercises. He wasn’t training too hard, but he wasn’t slacking off either. 

“Are you training for next season?” Yuuko asked as Yuuri stepped off the ice, handing him his skate guards. 

Yuuri shrugged. “I’m honestly not sure. I want to keep skating but...I don’t have a coach anymore. And I don’t know how to come back from last season.” 

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Yuuko said encouragingly, smiling warmly. 

“Thanks. I hope so.” 

Yuuri waved to Yuuko on his way out, changing quickly in the locker room so he could get home before it started raining. The last thing he wanted was to walk home in the pouring rain, especially since he’d forgotten his umbrella. He walked quickly, glancing nervously up at the sky, which was rumbling threateningly. He managed to make it just as it started to downpour, sprinting the last few steps into Yu-topia. 

Yuuri called out to his parents, but to his immense surprise, a white, fluffy cat answered his call. She made a pleased noise, trotting up to Yuuri with her tail held high and slightly bent at the end. There was a bell on her collar, which was elegant and rhinestone studded, that jingled as she approached Yuuri. He reached a hand out to pet her, and the cat rubbed on him, purring happily. She looked familiar, but Yuuri couldn’t place where he’d seen her before.

“Oh! You’re home!” Hiroko approached Yuuri, smiling as the cat turned her attention from Yuuri to his mom. She started petting the cat, who responded with more happy purring.

“Who’s this?” 

Hiroko scratched a spot behind the cat’s ears that had her closing her eyes contentedly. “She belongs to a guest. I think he said her name was Belle.” 

“Yeah, she arrived with a handsome foreigner!” Toshiya added, sticking his head out from the kitchen. 

“A handsome foreigner?” Yuuri questioned. 

“Mhm. Said he was a friend of yours.” Hiroko continued, still petting the cat. 

“Who--” Yuuri cut himself off. He realized why he recognized the cat. “Where is he?” 

“In the hot springs, of course!” Toshiya announced, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Yuuri didn’t waste any time, sprinting out of the room. He ran past confused looking guests, almost slipping as he barreled through the doors that led outside to the hot springs. His glasses were fogging up, but Yuuri recognized the figure in front of him regardless. 

“Chris?! What are you doing here?!” He rubbed at his glasses to get a better look at the man, and immediately regretted it. Chris had turned to face him, and stood up, and Yuuri was now getting a full-frontal view of his friend’s assets. “And why are you naked?!” He covered his eyes.

Chris chuckled. “I’m taking a bath, why wouldn’t I be naked?” 

Yuuri heard splashing, which sounded like it was getting closer and closer. He held up a hand, keeping his eyes shut. “That’s close enough!” 

“Yuuri,” Chris purred, “aren’t you happy to see me? I must admit I was expecting a much warmer reception.” 

“You’re naked!” 

“So?” 

Yuuri made a frazzled noise. “I can’t talk to you while you’re naked!” 

“You could always join me,” Chris said in a low voice, his accent sounding thicker than usual. “Then we’ll both be naked.” 

Yuuri had known Chris since his junior days, so he was used to the older skater’s flirtation and innuendos, but it still made him blush. “Chris!” 

“Oh, fine.” The splashing sounds started up again, retreating. Then, Chris said, “I’m sitting down. Your eyes are safe.” 

Tentatively, Yuuri peeked his eyes open. True to his word, Chris’s lower-half was hidden under the water. Still, Yuuri made an effort to keep his eyes on the man’s face. “What are you doing here?” 

Chris grinned at him. “I’m here to coach you! I’ll help you get to the Grand Prix Finals, and I’ll help you win...Victor’s heart!” 

Yuuri gaped at him. “ _ Excuse  _ me?” He must have heard wrong. Or maybe he hit his head on the ice and he was having some kind of weird concussion-dream. Either of those things seemed far more likely than Christophe Giacometti offering to coach Yuuri while naked in his family’s hot springs. 

“You heard me. I’m going to coach you. And I’m going to help you and Victor get together,” Chris said casually, offering Yuuri a wink. 

“I don’t understand.” 

“What part don’t you understand?” 

“Any of it!” Yuuri threw his arms up. “Why do you want to coach me? Why are you trying to play matchmaker with me and  _ Victor Nikiforov  _ of all people?!” 

Chris studied him for a few moments, humming thoughtfully. “You don’t remember the Sochi banquet, do you?” 

“Uh...no. Why does that matter?” 

Chris made a disappointed face, and said a French word that Yuuri vaguely recognized as a swear. “Oh my. This is really going to complicate things.” He stood up again, and Yuuri squeaked and covered his eyes. “I have to show you something.” 

“I don’t want to see that!” Yuuri insisted. 

Chris laughed. “I didn’t mean my dick, but I’m flattered that you would think so. I’m going to get dressed and grab my phone.” 

Yuuri kept his eyes closed until he heard Chris walking behind him, water dripping on the stone and wet footsteps retreating toward the inn. When Yuuri thought it was safe, he opened his eyes and turned around. It was a premature move. Chris had stopped to admire a rock formation in the garden, and his bare ass was on display, directly in Yuuri’s line of sight.

“Chris!” Yuuri squealed, covering his eyes again.

“You’re the one that peeked,” Chris replied. 

Yuuri heard his footsteps retreating again. He waited an extra minute before opening his eyes again. This time, he didn’t see a full moon. Yuuri pinched himself, still convinced this must be some kind of bizarre dream, but he didn’t wake up. There wasn’t anything else to do but follow his friend inside, so that’s what Yuuri did. 

Yuuri found Chris in the dining area, wearing one of the Inn’s green robes and being fussed over by Yuuri’s mother. She was handing him a bowl of katsudon, and Belle was sitting in Chris’s lap, eyeing the food hungrily. Chris took a bite of his food and made a noise that was practically pornographic. 

“This is divine!” he praised. “This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted!” 

“Oh, you’re too kind!” Hiroko replied, looking pleased. She noticed Yuuri, and offered him a smile. “I’ll let you boys catch up, call me if you need anything.” She retreated to the kitchen, and Yuuri heard the sounds of dishes clanking and the sink running.

Ignoring his desire to ask for another bowl of katsudon for himself, Yuuri sat down across from Chris, giving him a curious look. Chris looked over at him and winked, licking the end of his chopstick seductively.

“I’ve never had anything this delicious in my mouth before,” Chris purred, picking up another piece of pork and stuffing it in his mouth without breaking eye contact. 

“Chris…” Yuuri said with an exasperated sigh. 

Chris finished chewing, then waved his hand dismissively. “Oh, I’m just teasing you.” He picked up his phone and typed in the password. “I want you to look at these pictures,” Chris explained, scrolling through something that Yuuri couldn’t see. Then, he set the phone down in front of Yuuri.

“If these are dick pics…”

“Believe it or not, I am capable of thinking about things other than sex,” Chris said with a shrug. 

Yuuri snorted. “Right. What do you want me to look at?” 

“Something that you won’t believe unless you see it for yourself,” Chris replied mysteriously, taking another bite of pork. 

Yuuri was confused, but he did as Chris said. He picked up the phone, and immediately gasped. It was pictures of him at the Sochi banquet, disheveled and red-faced, clearly drunk out of his mind. He scrolled through the pictures until Yuri Plisetsky joined him on screen. Yuri looked pissed, like he was dancing aggressively. Yuuri just looked trashed. He kept scrolling, until Victor Nikiforov appeared in the background, getting closer and closer to Yuuri as the pictures progressed. And then, they were dancing together. Some of it was silly, but they looked like they were having the time of their lives in each photo. Yuuri almost dropped Chris’s phone when he got to the picture of him dipping Victor, their faces inches apart and wearing matching grins. 

“I…” Yuuri didn’t know what to say. He didn’t remember any of this. How could he not remember dancing with Victor Nikiforov?! How had he even found the courage to approach him?

“Oh, keep going. You haven’t gotten to our dance yet,” Chris said mischievously. 

Feeling a little nervous, Yuuri kept scrolling. He shrieked as soon as he saw the next set of pictures. “Oh my god.” There was Yuuri, mostly naked and wrapped around a stripper pole. The least surprising part was seeing Chris right next to him.

“I never knew you could pole dance. You have excellent form,” Chris complemented.

“Oh my god,” Yuuri repeated. 

Chris gently took his phone back. “Don’t worry, everyone was charmed by you. And maybe a little turned on.” 

“Oh. My. God.” 

Chris looked at him with concern. “Are you alright?”

Yuuri made an inhuman noise. “No!” He looked at Chris with wide eyes. “I made a fool of myself in front of--” he cut himself off. He and Chris might be friends, but Chris was Victor’s best friend, and he didn’t know the extent of Yuuri’s crush. “--in front of  _ everyone _ .” he said carefully.

“Ah.” Chris pat his arm sympathetically. “Well, I don’t think  _ everyone _ ,” he emphasized the word the same way Yuuri had, “thought you were a fool. It was the most fun I’ve ever had a banquet, and I know Victor thought so too.” 

Yuuri was both infinitely curious and terrified to find out more about what Victor had thought about his behavior. “I’m just glad my friend Phichit wasn’t there, or he’d never let me live any of this down.” He looked at Chris curiously. “What does me acting like a drunken idiot have to do with you being here, anyway?” 

Finishing his food, Chris set the bowl down, gently pushing Belle away as she attempted to help herself to the crumbs. “It has everything to do with me being here, actually. I know you don’t remember this, but you asked Victor to be your coach.” 

“I did  _ what _ ?!” 

“Asked Victor to be your coach,” Chris repeated casually, scratching Belle under the chin. The cat closed her eyes, leaning into the contact. 

Burying his face in his hands, Yuuri groaned, “He must think I’m a psycho fan or something.” 

Chris chuckled. “On the contrary, he was quite taken with you.”

Yuuri looked up, incredulous. “I highly doubt that.” 

“Seriously. He was thinking about doing it. And all he’s been able to talk about since the banquet is you.” 

Yuuri shook his head. “No way.”

Reaching over, Chris grabbed his phone. He fiddled around with it, before opening up a text chain. “I only feel a little bit bad showing you what Victor said. If he wasn’t being a stubborn ass, I wouldn’t need to do this,” Chris grumbled. 

Confused, Yuuri grabbed the phone, eagerly reading the messages. 

**Victor** : I just can’t stop thinking about Yuuri.

**Victor** : Why didn’t I get his number??? Chris you should give me his number!

**Chris** : I don’t have his number. I got a new phone, remember? Why don’t you message him on Insta?

**Victor** : I doubt he’d see it, he never posts anything :( 

**Chris** : Ok talk to him at Worlds 

**Victor** : That’s so far away! 

**Chris** : idk fly to Detroit then

**Victor** : I don’t want to seem desperate...

**Chris** : But you ARE desperate

**Victor** : I KNOW. But I don’t want HIM to know that. He’s so far out of my league already

**Victor** : He’s just so GORGEOUS and PERFECT

**Victor** : And I want him to crush me with his thighs. Is there a polite way to ask him to do that???

Chris pulled the phone away, studying Yuuri’s expression. Yuuri was pretty sure he was gaping like a fish, but Chris seemed satisfied with whatever face Yuuri was making. “Like I said, he was quite taken with you.”

“I don’t understand.” Yuuri said in disbelief. He looked at Chris sharply. “Is this a joke?” 

“No, I swear it’s all real. Victor has been talking about you non-stop. Well, at least he was…”

“What does that mean?” 

After scrolling through his phone a bit more, he set the screen back in front of Yuuri. It was opened up to the same text chain, but appeared to be more recent. 

**Chris** : Anyway, quit avoiding the question. Have you talked to Yuuri or not?

**Victor** : No…

**Chris** : ?

**Victor** : I don’t think he’s interested 

**Chris** :  _ [image description: a photo of Yuuri dipping Victor at the Sochi banquet] _

**Chris** : I doubt that’s the issue

**Victor** : Well he hasn’t tried to talk to me

**Chris** : You haven’t tried to talk to him either

**Victor** : I don’t want to be a creep! I’m trying to take the hint. If he was interested in me he would have tried to talk to me by now

**Chris** : I think you are misreading the situation

**Victor** : Just drop it ok? I’m not going to keep pining for someone that doesn’t want anything to do with me. I’m not that pathetic. 

Chris took the phone away again, and Yuuri struggled to comprehend what he’d read. “Victor was waiting for me to call him?” Yuuri found that hard to believe. In what universe was  _ Victor Nikiforov  _ pining for Yuuri? If he hadn’t read the texts with his own eyes, he wouldn’t believe it. There was still the possibility that this whole thing was a cruel joke, but Chris wasn’t mean enough to do that. 

“He was indeed,” Chris confirmed, looking a little sad. “I know what the media says about Victor, but it’s not true. He’s not some shallow heartbreaker, he’s really quite sensitive, and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen him this interested in anyone.” After a brief pause, Chris added, “Actually, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him this smitten before.” 

Yuuri blushed. Victor was  _ smitten _ ?! With  _ him _ ?! “I’m having a hard time processing this.” Despite his long-time crush, he didn’t really know Victor. Sure, Victor was impossibly attractive, talented, and suave, but that didn’t mean Yuuri really knew anything about him. Clearly they’d hit it off at the banquet, but Yuuri didn’t remember that. As much as his anxious brain wanted to tell him it was all lies, Yuuri couldn’t deny what he had read. Victor had called him gorgeous, and said Yuuri was out of  _ his _ league. And then, Victor had felt rejected. 

“Should I...call him?” Yuuri suggested. 

Briefly, Chris’s expression turned mischievous, before he shook his head. “Oh no, we’re well past that. Victor is heartbroken, it’s going to take more than a phone call to fix this.”

“What do I do then? I should at least apologize!” 

“You will. In time.” 

“Quit being so cryptic,” Yuuri demanded. “What am I supposed to do?” 

“Woo him!” Chris exclaimed, grinning wildly. 

Yuuri shook his head. “I can’t do that!” 

“Not yet, maybe. But with my help, you’ll be able to sweep Victor Nikiforov off his feet!” Chris gestured dramatically as he spoke, jostling Belle. She flicked her tail at him, abandoning her owner’s lap to sit with Yuuri instead. 

Yuuri laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. Him? Wooing Victor? No way! “And how exactly am I going to do that?” 

The same mischievous grin appeared on Chris’s face. “With your skating, of course. Once I’m done with you, he won’t be able to look away. Plus,” Chris waved a hand dismissively, “a gold medal at the GPF won’t hurt your chances either.” 

“There’s no way Victor is going to notice my skating,” Yuuri insisted. “He didn’t even know who I was before the banquet!” 

“What makes you say that?” Chris asked curiously. 

After a brief pause in the conversation to let Belle get comfortable in Yuuri’s lap, he replied, “He asked me for a photo after the competition. He thought I was a fan.” 

“Oh, is that why you walked away?” 

“Uh, yeah. It was super embarrassing!” Yuuri was blushing just at the memory of how humiliated he felt. 

Chris rolled his eyes. “I told him it was a dumb idea.” 

“What?” 

“Victor thought you looked upset after your free skate.” Chris made a sympathetic face. “For some stupid reason, he thought offering a photo would cheer you up. I told him it wouldn’t help.” 

Yuuri gaped at Chris again. Apparently, not only had Yuuri had the night of his life with his idol, Victor had also known who he was the whole time. He wasn’t sure if that made him feel better or worse, so he just replied, “Oh.” 

“Mhmm.” Chris leaned forward, looking excited. “So, will you let me help you then?” 

“I don’t know…” Yuuri’s head snapped up as a thought hit him. “Wait. Why aren’t you skating this season? Are you ok?” He looked his friend up and down, trying to identify any injuries. 

Chris waved him off. “I’m fine. I just want to help my two most stubborn friends find love.” 

Yuuri blushed, doing his best not to think about Chris’s statement. “But don’t you want to skate this season?” 

Chris’s smile tightened, his facial muscles tensing. “I’m due for a break.” He sighed. “If I tell you something, will you promise not to repeat it?” He only briefly waited for Yuuri to nod before continuing, “Victor is my best friend, and I’m truly happy for all of his success but…” he sighed. “It’s hard living in his shadow. No one even sees me as his competition anymore.” 

Reaching out, Yuuri placed a comforting hand on Chris’s shoulder. Chris smiled gratefully and continued his explanation. “I had a very selfish thought the other day. I thought, ‘Victor will have to retire soon and then the rest of us will have a chance’. How awful is that? He’s my best friend.” 

Yuuri squeezed Chris’s shoulder. “It’s not awful. We all want to win, that’s why we compete. You’re not wishing him any ill will.” 

“I know, but I still hate that I thought it. Victor already has to deal with everyone else trying to cut him down, he doesn’t need his best friend to do it too,” Chris lamented. 

“Chris…”

“Anyway,” Chris started again, “it made me realize that I needed some time away from the ice. If I’m not going to get gold this season, and I’m just going to be bitter, I might as well not skate.” He looked up at Yuuri and smiled. “I might as well help my friends.” 

“That’s very kind of you,” Yuuri replied genuinely, pulling his hand back.

Chris shrugged. “It’s the least I can do. Victor’s been insufferable pining for you, anyway.” 

“No offense...but do you even know how to coach someone?” Yuuri asked carefully.

“I may not be Victor Nikiforov, but I’ve been standing next to him on the podium for years. I have talent of my own.” 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way!” Yuuri clarified.

Chris waved him off again. “I know. I have been working with junior and novice skaters for the past few seasons at my home rink. I do actually enjoy coaching, believe it or not, and I’m pretty good at it.” 

Yuuri considered his friend’s offer. It was crazy, and unprecedented, but Yuuri didn’t have a better plan. He wanted to skate, so he needed a coach. A coach had showed up at his door, offering him a chance at gold. He wasn’t sure about Chris’s plan for him to “woo” Victor, but if he got a gold medal and he also  _ happened _ to catch Victor’s eye, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Yuuri made up his mind, holding out his hand.

“Alright. Let’s do it.” 

With a grin, Chris grasped his hand, sealing the deal. 

\-------------------------

Unsurprisingly, Minako had plenty of opinions about Chris coaching Yuuri. She was a fan of the Swiss skater but her reaction wasn’t entirely positive. “I don’t know Yuuri,” she said thoughtfully as Yuuri warmed up in her studio, “Chris is a very talented skater, but he’s only 2 years older than you. I’m concerned about his level of experience.” 

Yuuri stretched, reaching toward his toes and enjoying the pleasant burn of his muscles. “I know. I have to admit that I’m a little worried too. But Chris showed me some videos of him working with the junior and novice skaters at his rink, and he actually does a good job.” 

Minako hummed, not seeming convinced. “I still think you should just contact Celestino. This seems like a crazy idea.” 

_ You have no idea _ , Yuuri thought, shifting into a split. “I can’t do that. Celestino was a great coach, and I do really miss Phichit, but I don’t think he was right for me. Maybe Chris will be.” 

“Your skating styles are so different,” Minako reasoned. “I don’t know if he will compliment you well.”

“I think different is what I need,” Yuuri argued, standing up and brushing off his legs. “I’m not going to win the GPF doing the same thing I’ve always done.”

Minako sighed. “That is true.” She waved her hand, signaling to Yuuri to continue his warm up. 

“I just don’t think I have anything to lose by trying,” Yuuri explained, bending down toward his toes. “Chris is refusing to take any money, so I don’t have to worry about coaching fees, and it’s not like I can do worse than crashing and burning at the GPF.” 

“You do realize that just by being at the GPF that makes you one of the top 6 skaters in the world, right? No matter how it ended,” Minako said with a frown. 

Yuuri just shrugged. “Regardless, I need to do better.” 

With another sigh, Minako directed Yuuri to take his place in the center of the studio. “Alright. If you’re going to skate this season, we better get to work on getting rid of that gut.” She clapped her hands, the sound reverberating through the studio.

Yuuri resisted protesting about yet another jab at his weight, waiting for Minako to instruct him. She worked him hard, leaving Yuuri panting and sore by the end of the session. He hadn’t stopped dancing, but he hadn’t been working nearly as hard as he normally did during the season. By the time he dragged himself home, he felt like he could barely keep his eyes open. 

He managed to not fall asleep on his feet, scarfing down dinner and finding his way to the hot springs. With a pained groan, Yuuri sunk into the hot water, instantly feeling his muscles relax. He closed his eyes for a moment, but a chuckle caught his attention. Yuuri peeked an eye open, regretting the decision as soon as he got another eyeful of Chris on full display. This time it was at least less of a surprise. He turned away as Chris settled in the water, waiting until his friend sunk down with a groan of his own.

“I don’t know how you ever left Japan. These hot springs are heavenly,” Chris groaned, his entire body relaxing and his head rolling back. 

“I did miss them,” Yuuri said with a shrug. “And my family and friends.”

“Understandable, your family and friends are lovely. I met the Nishigoris today.” 

Yuuri raised an eyebrow. “Did you also meet their daughters?” 

Chris chuckled. “I did indeed. Signed a few autographs for them and everything. They’re quite the skating fans, aren’t they?” 

“You could say that,” Yuuri mumbled. “Just don’t turn your back on them. You’ll end up on YouTube if you do,” he warned. 

With a snort of laughter, Chris replied, “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, both of them enjoying the steam and hot water. Yuuri really had missed being able to soak in the hot springs after a hard practice. He’d tried taking baths at his apartment in Detroit, but it wasn’t the same. 

Finally, Yuuri asked, “So, you went to the rink today?”

“Mhm,” Chris responded. “I wanted to scout out where we would be practicing, and I wanted to work on a few things.” 

“Such as?” 

“Your short program.” 

Yuuri looked over at Chris, surprised. “You already have that done for me?” 

“Kind of. I’m going to give you my program that I was working on,” Chris explained. “It’s fully choreographed, I’ve just been adding in my own personal touches. Choreography is more Victor’s strongpoint than mine, but I always like to add my own flair.” 

Yuuri rolled his eyes. By “flair” Chris meant “sex appeal”. Chris was known for always pushing the envelope when he skated. “Are you sure you’re ok giving that to me?”

“Positive,” Chris confirmed. “It’s a good program. We’ll have to work hard to make it gold medal worthy but, I think you can do it.” 

“I don’t know about that…” Yuuri mumbled. 

“Honestly Yuuri, give yourself more credit. You’re an incredible skater with a lot of potential. We just need to unlock it,” Chris said firmly. 

Yuuri shook his head. “I really appreciate the vote of confidence, I just can’t imagine that I could skate your program better than you.” 

Chris hummed in contemplation. “Yuuri, we’ve been skating together for quite some time, so I’ve seen you at your best, and your worst.” Yuuri winced at the mention of his “worst”, but let Chris continue. “I really think you have the potential to win. Your spins and step sequences have always been exceptional, and with your stamina, you should be able to skate much more complex programs than you’ve done in the past. If we can get you confident and consistent, I truly believe that even Victor won’t stand a chance.” 

Yuuri didn’t answer, unsure about how to appropriately respond to so many compliments. Chris seemed like he was being completely honest, which meant he actually believed Yuuri could beat Victor. No way! Yuuri shook his head. He wanted to win, he really did, but it seemed impossible. 

“I know what you’re thinking,” Chris said suddenly.

Raising an eyebrow, Yuuri replied, “Do you?” 

Chris nodded. “You’re thinking, ‘He’s never been able to beat Victor before, how will one of his programs do it now?’” 

Surprised, Yuuri stared at Chris. His face was neutral, but there was a sadness in his eyes. Yuuri had never really thought about how Chris must feel. He’s  _ never _ been able to beat Victor in a competition. Their scores were closer when Victor was younger, but the margin between them had only continued to grow as Victor entered his prime. Even if the two of them were best friends, that must be hard. Yuuri tried to imagine their roles being played by him and Phichit. Sure, he’d be happy for the Thai skater, but it seemed impossible not to be a little bitter. To never be able to reach your friend’s level no matter how hard you tried. To be written off even before the competition began. Yuuri had heard many announcers brush off Chris's programs before he’d even stepped on the ice, lamenting how unlucky he was to have to skate against Victor.  _ If only he’d been born 10 years sooner, _ they’d say as Chris bared his soul on the ice. Chris would smile at press conferences as reporters hounded Victor, only getting the occasional question for the silver medalist, which generally lacked any original thought. 

It hit Yuuri all of a sudden that this was a unique opportunity for Chris too. He might not be able to beat Victor on the ice, but if Yuuri could, under Chris’s tutelage, it would still be a win. It occurred to Yuuri that Chris needed this as badly as Yuuri did. Yuuri wanted to win, not only for himself, but for his friend. 

Yuuri realized he had been quiet for an uncomfortably long period of time. “Sorry,” he finally said. “I was lost in thought. But I wasn’t thinking that. I’m just afraid I’ll disappoint you.”

Chris’s expression softened. “You’re my friend. As long as you give it your best shot, you won’t disappoint me.” 

Yuuri smiled. “Thanks. I don’t know how well I’ll be able to hold up to your expectations, but I promise I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask for,” Chris said with a matching smile. 

\-------------------------

Yuuri had been skating against Chris for years. They’d shared the podium at junior level competitions, and seen each other’s programs from rinkside. And that’s why Yuuri should have been expecting the program that Chris showed him. Sexually charged performances were Chris’s specialty, so Yuuri shouldn’t have expected any less when Chris offered him his own program. Still, this one seemed particularly over the top!

“I can’t skate that!” Yuuri exclaimed as Chris skated to the barrier, chest still heaving from exertion. The program had been full of suggestive hip movements and ass grabbing, neither of which were things that Yuuri was particularly comfortable with. Even the name of the program,  _ Intoxicated _ , was too risque for Yuuri. 

Chris grabbed the water bottle Yuuko was holding in one hand (her other hand was containing a very intense nosebleed), gulping down its contents. When his thirst was quenched, Chris replied, “Of course not. It’s still not quite finished. We’ll have to adjust the jump composition to fit your strengths better.” 

Yuuri made a frustrated noise. “That’s not what I mean!” 

After another sip of water, Chris gave him a questioning look. “Then what exactly do you mean?”

“I can’t do  _ that _ .” He vaguely gestured to all of Chris.

“Can’t do what?” 

“That! Skate sexy!” 

Chris looked surprised, then he burst into laughter. “Of course you can. I know it’s different from what you’ve done before, but that’s why it’s perfect.” 

“Look,” Yuuri said firmly, “I don’t have any sex appeal.” 

Chris snorted. “Now  _ that  _ is not true.” He skated down the barrier, until he reached his phone. After scrolling for a few moments, he returned to Yuuri and held the phone up to his face. It was a picture of him and Chris, dressed down to their undergarments, wrapped around a stripper pole and each other. 

Yuuko gasped, and Yuuri frantically tried to push the phone away. “Yuuri! I didn’t know you pole danced!” she chirped with delight. 

Blushing furiously, Yuuri muttered excuses about taking classes for core strength. “It’s not the same, anyway. I was trashed when I did that!” 

“I’ve always said that a drunk man is an honest man. You have that raw sexuality in you, we just need to draw it out,” Chris said casually as he started skating small loops to cool down. 

“No one is going to want to watch  _ me _ skate  _ that _ !” 

Chris stopped suddenly, grinning mischievously at Yuuri. “Oh, I can think of at least one person that would like to watch you skate this program.”

Yuuri crossed his arms. “You don’t count.”

“Ok, two people,” Chris said with a chuckle. “I know for a fact that Victor would be  _ very _ interested in seeing you skate this.” 

Yuuri could feel his whole face heating up now, extending down his neck and up to his ears. Yuuko was looking at Chris and Yuuri with a combination of confusion and delight. He really didn’t need her hearing about how wild he got at the GPF, so he just waved Chris off. 

“No way.” 

“Yes way.” Chris skated toward Yuuri, planting his hands on the barrier and leaning into Yuuri’s space. “You want to seduce Victor, don’t you?”

“Well, I--” 

“Then do what I tell you. Trust me, he’s going to love this.” He leaned back, looking satisfied. “Now, go put your skates on and get out here. We have work to do!” Chris skated away, leaving a very flustered Yuuri with a grinning Yuuko.

“Yuuri!” She squealed as soon as Chris skated away. “What’s he talking about? What’s going on with you and Victor?” 

Yuuri shrugged, walking toward the bench and plopping down. He started putting his skates on and answered as nonchalantly as he could, “Nothing.” 

“It doesn’t sound like nothing.”

“Well, it is,” he said, a little shorter than he meant to.

Yuuko was not put off by his attitude. It was probably nothing compared to the temper-tantrums the triplets would throw. “Oh, come on! Don’t leave me in the dark!”

With a sigh, Yuuri gave in. “Fine. But don’t tell anyone!” Yuuri pulled his phone out of his pocket, opening his photo album to the pictures Chris had sent him. He handed the phone to Yuuko. 

As she scrolled through, her eyes widened, and she started grinning. After a few more swipes, she gasped. “Yuuri! You danced with Victor!” She sniffled happily. “You look so happy.” 

Yuuri shrugged. “I guess. I don’t remember any of it.” He started lacing up his skates. 

Her head shot up. “Really?”

Yuuri nodded. “Yeah. Apparently Victor was waiting for me to call and since I didn’t remember we’d met…”

“You never did,” Yuuko finished for him, looking thoughtful. “Wow.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Wow!” 

Yuuri couldn’t help but chuckle. “Pretty crazy, right?” 

Yuuko nodded in agreement. “I can’t believe you’re not freaking out.” 

“Oh, I freaked out plenty when Chris showed me.” 

“I believe it,” Yuuko chuckled. “So what Chris said about seducing Victor…”

Yuuri blushed. “Chris is trying to play matchmaker.” 

Yuuko clapped excitedly. “That’s amazing!” She sighed dreamily. “You and Victor would make such a gorgeous couple.” 

Impossibly, Yuuri blushed harder. “Yuuko!” 

“You would!” She looked at Yuuri thoughtfully. “Do you  _ want _ to seduce Victor?” 

“I don’t know...” Yuuri confessed. “I mean, I’ve always...looked up to Victor but I don’t really know him.” If he was being honest, he really did want a chance with Victor. He’d been crushing on the Russian skater since he was a teenager. He just couldn’t imagine a reality where the two of them got together, even with the photo evidence that Chris had.

Yuuko rolled her eyes. “Right, you’ve ‘looked up to him’.” 

Yuuri glared at her, standing up from the bench. “It’s just hard to wrap my head around, ok? I’ve admired him for so long, so to think that I could have a chance with him…” 

Yuuko smiled gently. “Ok, that’s fair.” 

Yuuri returned the smile, walking toward the rink. Yuuko held out her hands for Yuuri’s skate guards, and he handed them over before stepping on the ice. Immediately, Yuuri felt tension leaving his body. He briefly closed his eyes, feeling the cold rink air whip past him. When he opened his eyes, Chris winked at him from the center of the rink, then skated out of the way so Yuuri could warm up. Yuuri skated familiar figures, his body moving without any extra thought. No matter what happened next, the ice was his home. 

Once Chris was satisfied that Yuuri was sufficiently warmed up, he skated back to meet him, and they got to work. Chris started breaking down the program piece by piece, letting Yuuri copy him. Yuuri didn’t feel comfortable caressing himself like Chris was doing, but he could follow the other skater’s steps easily enough. He couldn’t, however, follow all of his jumps. Chris had a quad lutz planned early in the program, and Yuuri had to sheepishly explain that he couldn’t land that.

“What quads do you have?” Chris questioned. 

“Just the toe-loop,” Yuuri muttered. “Sometimes I can land the quad sal in practice, but never in competition.” 

Chris waved him off. “That’s alright, we can work on others. I may not be Victor Nikiforov, but my jumps are still pretty strong.” 

“I don’t need you to be Victor, you know,” Yuuri commented. This wasn’t the first time Chris had tried comparing himself to Victor.

Chris raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” 

“I just mean, I’m not comparing you,” Yuuri explained. “I know you’re a great skater. I wouldn’t let you coach me if I didn’t think you were.” 

Chris smiled genuinely. “That’s very kind of you to say.” He chuckled. “It won’t get you out of jump practice, though.” 

Yuuri laughed in return. “Fair enough.” 

Yuuri was glad that he had spent some time getting back in shape, because Chris was working him hard. Despite the Swiss skater’s lax attitude, he was very serious on the ice. It wasn’t too surprising, considering how successful his career had been thus far, but it was such a stark contrast from his usual relaxed demeanor that it caught Yuuri off guard. Chris worked him through the rest of the program, though they held off on doing too many jumps since Yuuri hadn’t been on a regular practice schedule in months. 

Though it would take some time to get the program down, Yuuri was able to get the gist of it pretty quickly. However, he winced everytime Chris stuck his ass out or groped himself. Yuuri couldn’t imagine himself doing that.  _ Intoxicated  _ was different from anything he’d ever skated. It was very much Chris’s style, not Yuuri’s, and had technical elements that Celestino would have never tried with Yuuri. Chris encouraged Yuuri to make the program his own, letting him give suggestions on how to increase the difficulty of step sequences or rearrange which elements went where. 

Despite Yuuri still being a bit out of shape, their practice was productive. Chris listened to Yuuri’s suggestions about rearranging the program, and offered good advice in return. Chris was far more hands-on than Celestino, touching Yuuri to correct his form or rearrange a limb, but Yuuri found that he didn’t mind too much. He and Chris weren’t particularly close, but they had known each other for years and Yuuri felt comfortable with him. Despite Chris’s flirty nature, Yuuri knew he’d never take it too far, even if Chris did like to push boundaries and put his hand just a bit lower than it needed to be. By the time they stepped off the ice for the night, Yuuri actually felt like they made a good team. They had a lot of work to do, but if Yuuri could pull it off, he’d have a good shot. Chris was noticing mistakes in his form that Celestino hadn’t pointed out, or at least explaining suggestions differently. 

Even Yuuko was impressed with how well they worked together. She commented on how much progress they’d made that night, giving them both a thumbs up. 

“Excellent work, Yuuri,” Chris complemented. 

“Thanks,” Yuuri responded. 

“Although, we need to work on your sex appeal,” Chris said honestly. “You’ll never seduce Victor like this.” 

Yuuri sighed. “I still don’t think I’ll ever be able to.”

“You will when I’m done with you,” Chris replied with a wink.

Yuuri was torn between blushing furiously and rolling his eyes. He just shook his head at his coach as they made their way toward the locker room. Once they were both ready to go, they walked back to Yutopia side by side. After a shower and a soak in the hot springs, they both went their separate ways for the night. Mari had helped set up a room for Chris in the spare banquet room, since they didn’t have anything else available. Yuuri had been concerned that the room would be too simple for the Swiss skater, but Chris didn’t seem to mind. Belle didn’t seem to mind either, although she spent plenty of time curled up on Yuuri or Mari’s bed instead of in Chris’s room. 

When Yuuri went to sleep that night, he felt pleasantly sore. It had been too long since he’d skated like that, with a purpose. Even if Chris was a little unorthodox, it felt good to have direction again. He had to admit that he was excited about the upcoming season and seeing how he and Chris did together. And if he was being honest, he was excited about finding out if Chris could really make Victor notice him. It was still hard to believe that he could skate a sexually charged program, but there was a part of him that really did want to try. Despite how terrified he was, he wanted to do something different. He wanted to come back stronger and better than his failure at the GPF. And if he had the added bonus of seducing Victor...there was nothing wrong with that, right? After all, wasn’t Victor’s attention all he ever wanted? 

Closing his eyes, Yuuri fell into the easiest sleep he’d had in months. There was nothing better than the mental and physical exhaustion of skating to help him relax. He was sore when he woke up in the morning, but not painfully so. He took his time stretching and making his way to the dining area, where Chris was already seated with a bowl of eggs and rice in front of him. He was reading something intently on his phone.

Yuuri sat down across from him, scratching Belle as she approached Yuuri for morning pets. “Everything ok?” 

Chris nodded. “Yes, I just thought we’d have more time before the media frenzy started, but apparently my presence has been noticed.” He offered his phone to Yuuri.

“Really?” Yuuri accepted the phone, squinting at the screen. There was a picture of him and Chris leaving the rink together, their gear bags thrown over their shoulders. The associated article was speculating on why they were in Hasetsu together. Apparently, some people thought they were attending a super secret training camp together, but mostly people were wondering if they were dating. The main headline read:

_ LOVE ON THE ICE? _

_ Silver medalist Christophe Giacometti of Switzerland was spotted in the small town of Hasetsu, Japan with the country’s own Grand Prix Finalist, Yuuri Katsuki. Giacometti and Katsuki have known each other since their junior days, but the two have never been seen together outside of an international skating event. This begs the question, what exactly is Giacometti doing in Japan? After his enigmatic announcement  _ _ that he would not be returning for the upcoming skating season _ _ , many fans have been wondering what caused one of the world’s top skaters to spontaneously disappear from the spotlight. Not only did Giacometti withdraw from all competitions in the following season, he has been uncharacteristically quiet on his social media accounts. There has been speculation that he was injured, but his coach has  _ _ denied such rumors. _ _ If Giacometti is not injured, could a hot new romance be melting the ice for the Swiss skater?  _

“It gets trashier the longer you read it.” 

Yuuri glanced up from the phone, snorting with laughter. “Really? That’s the best they can come up with?” 

“It would appear so,” Chris responded with a chuckle. “They’re going to be in for quite the shock when we announce what’s really going on.” 

Yuuri hummed in agreement. 

“So, for today--” Chris paused as his phone buzzed in his hand. He frowned, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Chris?”

Chris didn’t answer. He started frantically tapping at his phone, shaking his head and muttering every so often. Finally, he let out a sigh as his phone started ringing. He answered on the second ring, speaking French. The only words Yuuri could understand were “hello” and “yes”, and occasionally Victor’s name. He could barely make out the sound of a male voice responding on the other line, but he couldn’t understand what was being said. Yuuri didn’t have any more time to try and eavesdrop, as Chris stood up and hurried out of the room, speaking in an increasingly frantic tone. 

Belle chittered indignantly as her owner rushed past her without even so much as a pat on the head. Yuuri held out his hand as an appeasement gesture, and she rubbed against it immediately. He kept Belle happily while Chris argued with someone in French down the hall. After a few minutes, there was an exasperated sigh, and then silence. Chris returned to the dining area a few moments later, looking flustered. 

“We may have a problem.” 


	2. Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Yuuri deal with new challenges while trying to put together a solid program

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happily overwhelmed by all your responses! Thank you all for the wonderful comments, it really means a lot!

“We may have a problem.”

Chris was holding his phone in his hand, frowning at something on the screen.

“The tabloids?” Yuuri questioned. 

Chris started to shake his head, then hesitated. “Sort of. Victor saw one of the articles.” 

“He doesn’t believe it, does he?” 

With a shrug, Chris replied, “Oh, I’m sure he doesn’t believe the trashy parts. But he also doesn’t believe that I’m here just helping out a friend.”

“Meaning…?” 

“He thinks we’re together,” Chris admitted. 

Yuuri flushed at the thought. It wasn’t that Chris wasn’t attractive, but they were just friends! “Why would he think that?!” 

Chris rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Because I’m me, I suppose. But I swear Yuuri, I’m here to help you and Victor, that’s my only motive. Even if he is being a stubborn ass right now.” 

Of all the concerns Yuuri had come up with when Chris offered to coach him, he hadn’t thought of this one. He hadn’t even considered how it would look when Chris, famous for his sexcapades, showed up in Hasetsu. Everyone must be thinking that he and Chris were screwing around! 

Yuuri pulled out his own phone and sure enough, he had dozens of missed calls and unread texts. Most of them were from Phichit, who was sending various screaming emojis. And a few eggplants. Yuuri groaned and buried his face in his hands. How had he not thought of this?  _ Of course  _ everyone would assume they were sleeping together! To make matters worse, he was going to be skating a very scandalous, over-sexualized program. Knowing Chris, he’d be wearing something very revealing while he skated too. 

“Yuuri it’s alright, he’ll come around.” 

“No one will take us seriously after this!” Yuuri groaned, refusing to look up at his friend. “I can’t believe I didn’t think about this. Ugh, there’s no way I can skate your program now!” 

Chris tsked at him. “No, that’s exactly why you need to skate this program.”

Peeking through cracks in his fingers, Yuuri asked, “What are you talking about?” 

“I see this as a good thing,” Chris continued. “If the tabloids want to paint you as some sultry seductress, go with it. Make it your persona.” He grinned. “In fact, you should play it up.”

“What?!” Was Christophe “Assman” Giacometti actually telling  _ Yuuri _ to pretend to be some kind of playboy? “No one will believe that!”

Chris grinned. “Oh, they will when I’m done with you,” he purred. “Plus, a little jealousy may not be a bad motivator for dear Victor.” 

Yuuri shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. Me? Make  _ Victor Nikiforov  _ jealous?” 

“Not just Victor,” Chris said thoughtfully, “everyone!” He looked at Yuuri like he was picturing someone else. “That’s the character you play. You need to own it, on and off the ice.”

“I can’t,” Yuuri insisted. “That’s not me.” 

“It doesn’t have to be you, it’s just a character,” Chris clarified. “I guarantee Victor, and everyone, won't be able to resist you. And then, when you’re on the ice, you’ll leave it soaking wet.” He winked. 

Yuuri covered his face again to hide his intense blush. “There’s no way that will work. I can’t do that.” 

“Maybe not yet, but I can teach you.”

“It won’t work,” Yuuri insisted. “I’m hopeless with flirting and romance, ask anyone.” 

Chris leaned in close, making Yuuri blush at the proximity. “You just need the right teacher,” he purred. “There’s a raw sexuality inside you just waiting to be released.” 

Yuuri must be crazy, because he should have laughed and sent Chris back on the next plane to Switzerland. Instead, he found himself saying, “Ok. Teach me.” What did he have to lose? He couldn’t go back to Celestino at this point, and it wasn’t like another coach would become available like Chris had. He still didn’t think Chris would be successful, but if anyone could teach him to act sexy, it would be Christophe Giacometti. 

The result of Chris’s next question, “Do you know anywhere with mirrors?” was that Yuuri found himself and his new coach outside Minako’s door. Yuuri could practically sense her irritation through the walls. When he had told Chris he knew the perfect place to go, he hadn’t thought about the fact that the owner of said perfect place was not a morning person. It was much earlier than he had realized. 

The door flew open, Minako’s surly face peeking out. “Do you have any idea how early it is?” She angrily rubbed at her eyes. “I was working at the snack bar until late last night.” 

“Sorry.” Yuuri fiddled sheepishly with his hands. “We just need somewhere to practice that has mirrors. We’re going to work on the, er, presentation part of my programs.”

Before Minako could reply, Chris butted in, “Oh yes. I’m going to teach Yuuri to be a beautiful temptress!”

Yuuri winced, gauging Minako’s reaction. She snorted with laughter, but stepped aside so Yuuri and Chris could enter. “Just put up a few posters of Victor Nikiforov and give him a drink and you’ll be fine.”

“Minako...” Yuuri whined, while Chris laughed. 

“You know, I think he has a Victor body pillow you could use,” Minako continued. “Although based on what Mari has told me you probably want to wash it first.” 

“Minako!” 

Chris slapped him on the back playfully. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Yuuri. Who hasn’t jerked off to a picture of Victor Nikiforov?” he said nonchalantly. 

Yuuri groaned with embarrassment. “Is it too late for me to retire?” He reluctantly trailed behind Chris and Minako. The two of them were bonding over telling stories about Yuuri lusting after Victor. Chris pulled out his phone to share banquet pictures, while Minako told him stories that his family swore they’d never share with anyone. By the time they were set up in Minako’s studio, Yuuri was ready to crawl under a rock and die. 

“Can we just get on with this?” Yuuri begged.

“Please do.” Minako grinned. “This I have to see.”

Although he didn’t necessarily love the idea of his childhood dance instructor watching him get flirting lessons, Yuuri didn’t protest. He turned to Chris, a questioning look on his face. “Well, here goes nothing.”

Chris chuckled. “Don’t look so glum, this is going to be fun. Now, hold still.” 

Yuuri did as he was told, and Chris circled him. He mumbled to himself in French, occasionally poking at Yuuri or shaking his head. He lingered far too long at Yuuri’s backside and Yuuri shot him a look through the mirror. 

“Is this necessary?” 

“Absolutely,” Chris replied seriously. “I’m considering how to best show off your...assets.” He grinned. 

“My...assets?” Yuuri parroted, confused. 

Minako snorted from across the room. “You’re certainly going to have your work cut out for you.”

Yuuri glared at her. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be.”

“No,” she replied chipperly. 

Chris exclaimed something in French. “Oh, I know exactly what to do. I’ll send my ideas to my designer later. In the meantime, let's start with the walk. Watch what I do.” 

Yuuri did as he was told, watching Chris strut around the room. It was hard to place exactly what he was doing. He just looked confident, with the perfect amount of swing in his hips. Whatever it was, Yuuri could see how it would draw someone’s eye to him. If he could get it right. Chris gestured for him to try, and was immediately met with a disapproving sound. 

“Too much swing in the hips. You look like a drunk penguin. And,” Chris walked over to him, pushing on his lower back. “Don’t slouch. You don’t slouch when you skate, so don’t do it when you walk. Try again.” 

It felt like he was mirroring whatever Chris was doing, but when Yuuri looked in the mirror, he felt ridiculous. Whereas Chris’s moves were smooth and graceful, Yuuri’s were clunky and awkward. He either swung his hips too much, or too little. He couldn’t make it look natural, even when Minako stepped in to help. She tried breaking it down to make it more technical, but Yuuri still couldn’t get it.

“Ok, let’s try something else,” Chris offered. “Here. Pretend this is a champagne glass at the banquet.” He picked up his water bottle, then walked it over to Yuuri. Chris offered the bottle to Yuuri, who reached out to take it. As Chris handed it off, he gently brushed his fingers over Yuuri’s, immediately causing Yuuri to blush in response. 

“And that’s the exact reaction I was hoping for,” Chris said triumphantly. “Hand it back to me.”

Yuuri held the water bottle toward Chris, who reached over to take it. He tried to imitate Chris and ran his fingers over his coach’s. It was extremely awkward, and he was pretty sure his hands were clammy. 

Taking the bottle back, Chris offered a reassuring smile. “Not quite. It needs to feel more accidental. But  _ obviously _ you did it on purpose.”

“So...a purposeful accident?” Yuuri questioned. 

“Exactly! Now, try again.” 

They went back and forth, Yuuri getting increasingly frustrated. Chris never lost his patience with Yuuri, but his smile did start to fade. They moved on to other exercises, but Yuuri didn’t fare any better. Chris had Yuuri practice asking him to dance. Yuuri was too nervous to look him in the eye. Chris had Yuuri kiss the back of his hand. Yuuri accidentally drooled on him. Eventually, Chris broke everything down even further. He focused on teaching Yuuri to be aware of how to hold his body or move his hair out of his eyes in a way that would catch attention. Yuuri caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror looking stiff and anxious. 

Finally, Chris sighed. “Alright, that’s enough for the day. We still need ice time.”

Feeling defeated, Yuuri nodded numbly. Despite none of what they had worked on being even remotely physical, Yuuri felt drained. He was so far out of his comfort zone and he had failed at every turn. He was mentally exhausted and he knew he’d struggle the rest of the day. 

On ice training went just as poorly as off ice training. By the end, both he and Chris were exhausted and strained. Yuuri had bruises all over his body from falling on jumps he’d had no trouble with the other day. Chris seemed like he was trying to hide his disappointment, but Yuuri could see his strained smile. 

After Yuuri fell on his ass for the umpteenth time, Chris called it quits. “Alright, I think that’s enough for tonight.” He offered Yuuri a hand, which Yuuri accepted gratefully.

“Sorry.” Yuuri winced as Chris helped him up. He was definitely going to feel this tomorrow. 

“Don’t worry about it. You’ll get it.” Chris didn’t sound entirely convinced, but he smiled nonetheless. “I think we could both use a soak, don’t you?” 

Yuuri nodded numbly. They didn’t say much as they cooled down, nor as they walked back to Yutopia. Chris was even uncharacteristically quiet while they soaked in the onsen. No flirting, no innuendos, nothing. By the time they both stepped out and dried off, Yuuri was convinced Chris was deciding how to nicely tell Yuuri he was quitting. Chris was looking contemplative, which wasn’t like him at all. 

Even if it was just prolonging the inevitable, Yuuri wasn’t ready for more crushing disappointment so he retreated to his room. Hopefully Chris could at least wait until the morning to give Yuuri the bad news. That would give himself some time to wallow and prepare for the horrible feeling of letting down yet another coach. And this time, he’d be letting down a friend too. 

After cocooning himself in his bedsheets, Yuuri scrolled through Instagram aimlessly, liking Phichit’s newest posts as well as a few pictures of Belle that Chris must have just posted. His brain was buzzing too much to sleep, and social media was a good distraction. There were a few other interesting posts here and there, but one in particular caught his eye and almost made him drop his phone in shock. Yuuri did a double take, making sure the picture he’d seen was real.

He recognized it. Chris had shown it to him when he’d first shown up. It was a photo from the Sochi banquet of Yuuri and Victor mid-dance. Yuuri had Victor in a deep dip, their faces close together and big smiles on their faces. It took Yuuri’s breath away the same way it had done the first time. They really were looking at each other like they were each other’s whole world. 

Yuuri gasped as he realized the photo had been posted by v-nikiforov. Why did he post this now? He’d had it for months. Yuuri supposed he should just be grateful it wasn’t one of the more scandalous photos of Yuuri with his clothes off. Fans were definitely freaking out about the photo, so Yuuri couldn’t imagine how they’d be reacting if a photo of Yuuri on the pole had been posted. Yuuri at least was grateful Victor hadn’t shared one of those.

If the photo had caught Yuuri off guard, the caption practically made his heart stop:

_ That feeling when you find out a moment that meant everything to you meant nothing to someone else. _

  
  


Yuuri gasped. “Oh shit.” He jumped up, scrambling to free himself from the sheets he had become entangled in. “Chris! We have another problem!” 

\-------------------------

Despite Chris’s attempts at damage control with Victor, he was having no luck. The Russian champion seemed convinced that Yuuri and Chris were an item, and he was  _ pissed _ . He refused to believe Chris’s explanation that he and Yuuri were just friends. While Yuuri couldn’t understand the conversation, because Chris was speaking French again, he could hear his friend’s pleading, frustrated voice through the thin walls of his room. 

Yuuri was laying on his back, staring up at his ceiling while Chris tried to talk down a very angry Victor in the other room. His phone was buzzing non-stop with practically everyone he’d ever met texting him to ask about the photo. Phichit had called him at least 6 times, and Yuuko was begging him to come to Ice Castle to talk. Yuuri ignored all of them, focusing on the muffled sound of Chris’s frantic French. 

It was unclear how much time passed but eventually, there was a final frustrated exclamation, followed by silence. Not a minute later, there was a tentative knock on Yuuri’s door. 

“Come in,” Yuuri called.

Chris opened the door and Belle immediately trotted through the opening. She made her way over to Yuuri’s bed and jumped up, making Yuuri wince as she landed on his stomach. Chris followed after her, dragging Yuuri’s desk chair next to the bed and sitting down. He looked completely frazzled. 

“Didn’t go so well, I take it?” 

Chris shook his head. “No, Victor won’t listen. He’s really upset and feels like we both went behind his back,” he explained. 

Yuuri sighed. “Should I...I mean, would it help if I talked to him?” 

Shaking his head, Chris replied, “No, I don’t think so.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe this was a bad idea.” 

As much as Yuuri wanted to be disappointed, he had been expecting it. Nothing was going as they’d planned, and Yuuri was turning out to be a terrible student. He couldn’t do anything that Chris wanted him to do, and now he’d gotten in between two friends. Yuuri should have retired when he had the chance. 

Yuuri glanced at his phone again, opening up Victor’s Instagram page. He selected the picture of the two of them, which now had more likes than any other photo on Victor’s page, and studied it. Both of them looked happy. Was that real? Or was it just a side effect of too much alcohol? He never thought someone would look at him like  _ that _ . Like he was everything. Why did it have to be Victor Nikiforov of all people? The man he’d been practically worshiping since he was a teen.

And then there was the caption. Clearly, Victor had expected something more from Yuuri. He could understand why Victor was upset, but did he have to go and put their personal life on display like this? Thousands of people had seen what Victor posted, and it was obviously about Yuuri. They would all know that something had happened between him and Victor. 

There was a strange possessiveness that overtook him. It snarled,  _ good _ . 

Yuuri was surprised by the feeling, but he realized there was a part of him that was pleased. He was a private person, but there was something about knowing the entire world had seen a photo of Victor looking at  _ Yuuri  _ that made him want to smirk. When was the last time anyone had seen Victor Nikiforov as happy as he was in that picture? Plus, there was the fact that he had such strong feelings about that night with Yuuri that he made an entire call out post. For whatever reason, Victor saw something in him. In some form, Victor wanted him. He had Victor’s full attention for one night, and Yuuri realized he wanted it again.

It was like a switch flipped. All at once, Yuuri understood the program Chris had given him. It wasn’t just about sex, it was about desire. About wanting someone so bad you burned with it. No, someone wanting  _ him _ so bad they burned with it. And Yuuri knew who that someone was. 

Belle meowed in protest as Yuuri sat up suddenly. She jumped down, flicking her tail irritably. Chris gave him a curious look. 

“No.” 

“No? No, what?” Chris asked. 

“It wasn’t a bad idea,” Yuuri clarified. 

Chris raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” 

“We both need this,” Yuuri continued. “And if Victor won’t listen, we’ll have to make him. I’ll have to make him.” He stood up, picking up his phone. “Are you in?”

Looking surprised, but pleased, Chris nodded. “I’m in. Now,” he continued, “you seem like you have an idea. Care to fill me in?” 

Whatever bravado Yuuri had conjured started to waver. “I...if I tell you I won’t go through with it. Just get dressed for Minako’s studio, ok?” 

Chris nodded. “Well, you certainly are full of surprises,” he grinned. “I can’t wait to see what you have planned.” He winked. 

Yuuri just rolled his eyes. “I have to make a call. Meet you out front?” 

Chris agreed to the plan, then scooped up Belle and left the room. Yuuri exhaled sharply. He could do this. He could let Chris into a part of his life that he rarely showed anyone. In fact, the only person he’d shown was Phichit. Celestino had known, because he was Yuuri’s coach and needed to approve any activities that Yuuri did, but no one else knew. At least, not until the banquet, and he didn’t remember any of it.

Yuuri picked up his phone and dialed the familiar number. The person on the other end picked up after a few rings.

“Minako? Do you still have the equipment from that specialty class you did a few years ago?” 

Minako hummed as she was thinking. “Which class?” 

Yuuri blushed. “Er, the one you told me about? Um, I think it was for a party.” 

There was a moment of silence, then Minako responded, “I think I know which one you’re talking about. Yeah, I still have it. Why?” 

“Could you set it up?” 

More silence. “This doesn’t have anything to do with a certain Instagram post, does it?” 

Yuuri swallowed hard. “It might.” 

Minako laughed with delight. “Then I will absolutely set it up for you! I’m loving this drama.” 

“Thanks Minako,” Yuuri replied, although he rolled his eyes. 

Yuuri hung up, then started digging through his closet. It took a while to find the bag he needed, but it was there, nestled in with some of his other items from Detroit. He grabbed the bag and slung it over his shoulder. With a deep breath to psych himself up, Yuuri made his way outside to meet Chris. 

His coach was already waiting, dressed in comfortable, but fashionable, athletic gear. He appraised Yuuri curiously as he approached. 

“You haven’t changed clothes,” he commented. 

“No, I’ll change when we get there.” 

“I’m very curious to see what you have planned,” Chris said with a grin.

Yuuri felt his cheeks flush. Chris was going to tease him endlessly once he figured it out. So was Minako. 

They arrived at Minako’s door, and she opened it before they knocked. She had a smug look on her face as she invited Yuuri and Chris in. “Well I certainly can’t wait to see what you have planned,” Minako mused. 

Chris hummed in agreement. The hum increased in pitch as they entered the studio, seeing what Minako had set up. A removable metal pole was mounted to the ceiling in the middle of the room. Yuuri approached it, pulling on it to test the hold. Minako had set it up properly, pressure mounting it to the ceiling. He carefully pulled himself up, testing his weight as he kicked his legs around. The pole stayed steady. Feeling satisfied, Yuuri disappeared into the back changing room and undressed. He put on his pole shorts, which had been buried in the back of his drawer since he moved back to Hasetsu. They were short, barely covering enough not to scandalize a potential audience, which was optimal for gripping. He didn’t put on anything else, only retrieving a bottle of Dry Hands from his bag and carefully putting his glasses aside. 

When Yuuri appeared from the changing room, Chris wolf whistled. “Are we going to repeat our performance from Sochi?” 

Yuuri blushed in embarrassment. “Not quite. I just...I think this will help. Give me a few minutes to warm up.” 

Both Chris and Minako nodded, falling into an easy conversation while Yuuri warmed up. As much as they liked to tease, they both knew him enough to realize that he needed a little space while he got ready. Yuuri stretched, and tested muscles that he hadn’t used in months. He did a couple of pole climbs and inverts, feeling a familiar burn as he contorted himself into various shapes. He was lucky that Chris had helped him get back into shape, or else he would probably be having a tough time. 

Once Yuuri felt loose enough he nervously turned toward Minako and Chris. “Um. It’s been a while since I’ve done this, and I don’t have a routine or anything but…” he fidgeted awkwardly. “Can I plug my phone in to the speakers?” 

Minako nodded, so Yuuri hooked up his phone to the studio’s sound system. He found the song he was looking for, then took a deep breath before selecting it. He paused it before the song could start, then motioned Minako over, instructing her to start the song once he gave her the signal. Once she was in position, Yuuri bit his lip as he padded back over to the pole. He made sure he had a good grip, testing the pole and wiping it down with some alcohol and a rag. After another coat of Dry Hands on his palms, he shuffled up next to the pole. Yuuri closed his eyes, trying to get in the zone. 

He pictured the photo of him and Victor, wishing he could remember the feeling of Victor in his arms. He tried to imagine it. No doubt, Victor’s suit would have been expensive, probably silky under his fingers. If Yuuri put his hand on Victor’s chest, would he feel his heartbeat? Yuuri liked to imagine that he would. He imagined Victor’s blue eyes locked on him, burning with want. It was an image he’d fantasized about plenty of times, but it filled him with a new kind of heat knowing it had been real. 

With a final deep breath, Yuuri opened his eyes and nodded at Minako. Minako started the song and a heavy beat filled the room. As the music pulsed in his ears, Yuuri wrapped a leg around the pole, arching his back and running his hands up his body. He didn’t have a routine in mind, so he just improvised and moved with the music. He dipped and spun, then started climbing up the pole as the chorus started. 

_ Talk to me with you body language _

_ Move with me, rock me if you can _

_ Baby tell me all your secrets from A to Z _

_ Let me see you dance _

Yuuri had been worried that pole dancing for the first time in months would feel awkward or stuffy, but he was wrong. With the fantasy of Victor’s piercing gaze on him, it was like Yuuri’s body was moving on its own. He inverted, spreading his legs in a wide V, then twisted them around to grip the pole with one leg. As he rolled his body back upright, holding himself up with his upper body strength, he made eye contact with Chris. With a smirk, Yuuri clasped the pole between his thighs and leaned his body back, running his hands up his sides and abdomen again. He winked at Chris, who looked stunned. 

_ Talk to to me with your body language _

_ Move with me, I'll show you who I am _

_ Baby I'm gonna leave you breathless _

_ Talk to me, let me see you dance _

Grasping the pole with his hands, Yuuri stopped gripping with his thighs and straightened his body. He slid down the pole, landing gracefully on his toes. As the music reached the final crescendo, Yuuri finished his routine with floorwork. He rolled against the pole, throwing a kiss over his shoulder in Chris’s direction. He could have sworn as he glanced behind him he saw a head of silver, not blonde. 

With a final swoop around the pole, Yuuri landed with his back against the cold metal and an arm gripping it above his head. His chest heaved, sweat dripping down his brow. Chris was staring at him, his mouth agape. When the song ended and the room was quiet, Yuuri turned to glance at Minako, who was looking at him with a similar expression. 

The silence stretched on long enough that Yuuri was afraid he’d made a mistake. He was almost ready to run out of the room in shame, when a slow clap caught his attention. Yuuri turned his attention back to his coach, who was now grinning and clapping with increased speed and enthusiasm. Minako joined in behind him.

As the clapping ceased, Chris looked Yuuri up and down and cocked his head teasingly. “Well, Victor certainly is a lucky man.” He winked. “This season just got a lot more interesting.” 

\-------------------------

Following Yuuri’s pole dancing demonstration, something changed in him. He started picturing Victor in the bleachers while he skated and suddenly it was significantly easier to skate Chris’s sex on ice program. He found himself getting into the zone as Chris shouted out suggestions to pop a hip here or lick his lips there. The jumps themselves were still a challenge, but Yuuri was much happier with the performance part of his program. He was feeling pretty good about it, at least until the costume Chris picked out arrived. 

“I can’t wear this!” Yuuri insisted. He looked himself up and down in the mirror, a blush creeping up his neck. It was skin tight, especially around his back end and thighs, but Chris insisted it was supposed to fit like that. There was more of his skin covered than he expected, but that didn’t really matter when the costume was so tight that he swore he could see the outline of  _ everything _ . The colors matched his taste, but they were patterned in a way that drew attention to his lower body, which he was sure was purposeful on Chris’s part. And then there were the sparkles. When the light hit him, everyone’s eye would be drawn to him. 

Chris leaned into him, placing a hand on Yuuri’s rear. He squeezed, making Yuuri squeak. “I toned it down for you,” Chris purred in his ear. “But I knew it would still suit you.” 

“Chris!” 

“Oh come on, Yuuri, this is perfectly tame,” Chris insisted. He backed away, but kept looking Yuuri up and down. 

“I don’t usually wear things this flashy,” Yuuri whined. He twisted around, blushing harder as he got a look at his butt in the mirror. 

Chris reached around and squeezed Yuuri’s butt again, making him yelp. “And you don’t usually skate programs like this either. That’s why it’s perfect! It’s all part of the performance,” he insisted. 

Yuuri sighed in defeat. “I know. It’s not as bad as I expected,” he relented. It was the truth. Yuuri had pictured a sparkly speedo with flashing lights on it. He’d had nightmares about getting iceburn all over his body because Chris dressed him in nothing but a tiny piece of underwear. 

“I thought I’d take it easy on you.”

“I appreciate that.” 

Yuuri twisted around again. He tried to picture himself under the lights, skating the sexually charged program Chris had given him. It was way outside of Yuuri’s comfort zone, but it was satisfying to know he was starting to get it right. His short program was really coming together into something he and Chris could be proud of. His long program was another story. Chris insisted that Yuuri needed to pick the music and contribute to the choreography, but Yuuri didn’t know where to start. The competitive season was rapidly approaching and Yuuri couldn’t decide on anything. Pop songs seemed too trashy, but he couldn’t think of anything else that would fit with the theme. It wasn’t like there was an excess of sexy classical music in the world (at least that Yuuri knew of). 

Something in Yuuri’s face must have shown his worry because Chris asked, “What’s wrong? If you really don’t like it I can send it back.”

“No, it’s fine,” Yuuri responded. Chris gave him an unconvinced look. “Really! It’s just different, but it’s good.” He sighed. “I was just thinking about my free skate.” 

“Ah.” Chris looked thoughtful. “Any ideas yet?”

“Not really,” Yuuri admitted. 

Chris hummed. “Well, we’re starting to run out of time.”

“I know,” Yuuri agreed. “You should just pick something.”

Shaking his head, Chris replied, “We talked about this. It will be good for you to put yourself into the program.”

“I just don’t have any ideas,” Yuuri complained. “We’ll never get anything picked at this rate.”

Chris shrugged. “You’ll figure something out. Now,” he continued, “we’ve made sure the costume fits, so take it off and get your practice clothes back on.” 

Yuuri’s cheeks turned red. “Not with you in here!” 

“Oh, please. Like I haven’t seen you bare plenty of times in the onsen,” Chris teased. 

“This is different!” 

“Fine, fine.” Chris left the room, giving Yuuri space to change back into his workout clothes. 

Once Yuuri heard the door close, he started stripping the skin tight costume off his body. He caught his nearly bare reflection in the mirror, and let out a sigh. Why was being sexy so hard for him? Objectively, he knew he was in pretty decent shape. Sure he wasn’t a fan of his stretch marks, but he wasn’t hideous. So why was it so daunting to pick a song for his free skate? Everything he listened to just sounded wrong. Or at least, wrong for him.

Guiltily, Yuuri shooed Belle off of his pile of workout clothes. She chattered at him irritably, trotting away in a huff. Yuuri got dressed, still feeling down on himself. As he pulled up his track pants, his phone fell out of his pocket and onto the floor with a “thunk”. He picked it up and was about to put it away when he noticed the notifications. Phichit had sent him a text. It was just a meme, but seeing Phichit’s name on his screen gave him an idea. Yuuri was dialing the familiar number before he could even think about it.

After a few rings, Phichit picked up. “Hey, Yuuri! What’s up?” 

“Hi Phichit. Have a sec?” 

There was a quiet shuffling sound. “Sure. Everything ok?”

“Yes. Well, no,” Yuuri admitted. “I’m having trouble with my free skate.”

“What part of it?”

“All of it,” Yuuri whined. “Chris wants me to pick the music, but I don’t know what to choose!” 

Phichit hummed in contemplation. “Does he have any suggestions?”

“No,” Yuuri sighed. “He says that I need to choose the music on my own.”

“Wow, have you ever done that before?” Phichit asked.

Yuuri grumbled, “No. Never. That’s why I have no idea what to pick. You remember that song I showed Ciao Ciao, right? What if I pick another dud?” 

Phichit hummed again. “I don’t think Chris would let you skate to something bad,” he reasoned. 

“Probably not,” Yuuri agreed. “But it won’t matter because I won’t be able to pick anything so I’ll never get to skate and then I’ll have to retire in shame!” 

“Easy, easy!” Phichit tried to calm his frantic friend. “I’ll help you pick something. I assume that’s why you called?” 

“Yes,” Yuuri admitted, feeling out of breath after his rant. 

Yuuri heard the sound of a pen clicking on the other line. “Alright,” Phichit started, “what’s your theme?” 

“I haven’t exactly picked one.”

Phichit paused on the other end of the line. “Really? This late in the season?”

“I told you I don’t have my free skate yet!” Yuuri reminded him. 

“Right. Ok, well what’s your short program?” 

Yuuri didn’t respond. It was supposed to be a surprise. But he could tell Phichit, right? So far he’d kept it vague whenever they’d chatted and Phichit never pressed him. 

“Yuuri?”

“Er, it’s supposed to be a surprise,” Yuuri explained. 

“Ok, but you have to give me something to work with,” Phichit reasoned. 

Yuuri thought for a few moments. “Well, it is  _ Chris _ making the programs. He has a reputation for certain...types of programs.”

Phichit was silent for a couple of beats, then burst out laughing. “Yuuri! Are you skating a sexy program?” 

“Maybe.” 

The younger skater was cackling with glee. “Oh my god. That’s amazing, I can’t wait to see it!” 

Yuuri felt himself flush with embarrassment. “Don’t remind me how bad it’s going to be!” Yuuri pleaded. “I’m already trying not to talk myself out of it.” 

“No, no I really can’t wait to see it! I didn’t mean it sarcastically,” Phichit clarified. “Yuuri, you’re a hot piece of ass!” 

“Phichit!” 

“You are!” he insisted. “If Chris can bring out a sexy, confident side of you it’ll be awesome!” 

“You think so?”

“I know so,” Phichit replied resolutely. “So if the last piece of the puzzle is finding a perfect free skate song, of course I’ll help!”

Yuuri sighed in relief. “Are you sure it won’t be a bother?”

“Definitely not! Although,” he added, “doesn’t it kind of defeat the purpose of what Chris wanted you to do if I pick it?”

Yuuri shrugged, even though he was alone in his room. “Maybe, but not picking anything at all won’t exactly be good for this season either. Thanks, Phichit,” Yuuri replied sincerely. “I really appreciate it.” He bit his lip as he thought about his next words. “Er, there’s something else. If I tell you, do you promise not to tell anyone else?”

Phichit gasped in delight. “Oh, you know how much I love gossip! My lips are sealed,” he promised. 

“Chris is trying to get me and Victor together.” 

After dropping that bomb, Yuuri expected an explosion. Phichit wasn’t one to keep his emotions hidden, so the silence following his announcement had Yuuri worried. Was Phichit thinking it was a terrible idea? Was he going to tell Yuuri how out of his league Victor was? Yuuri was about to beg Phichit to tell him what he was thinking, when a high pitched scream cut through the phone line. Yuuri had to hold the phone away from his ear, which was now ringing following Phichit’s outburst. 

“Oh my god! I knew something was going on with the two of you!” He gasped again. “Is that why Victor posted that picture?”

It seemed safe to bring the phone close to his ear again, since Phichit was now speaking at a normal volume. “Sort of. Victor doesn’t exactly know what Chris is planning.” 

“Oh?”

“Yeah he sort of thinks…” Yuuri trailed off, having a hard time admitting the mess he and Chris had made. “He sort of thinks Chris and I are together.” 

This time, Yuuri was prepared for Phichit’s squeals of joy and managed to get the phone away from him before his eardrum ruptured. “This is amazing!” Phichit cheered. “My best friend,  _ the  _ Katsuki Yuuri, in a love triangle with the senior men’s division’s two most eligible bachelors.” 

“It’s not a love triangle!” 

“Whatever you say!” Phichit replied cheerfully, not at all convinced. “This is the best thing I’ve heard all day. Actually,” he amended, “it’s the best thing I’ve heard  _ ever _ . I didn’t think anything would ever top the story you told me about the banquet, but I think this did it!” 

“Well I’m glad you’re amused,” Yuuri grumbled. 

“Oh I’m  _ very  _ amused.” The grin in Phichit’s voice was obvious. He gasped as another thought hit him. “So I have to find a sexy song for you to seduce Victor Nikiforov to?” 

“No! Don’t put it like that!” Yuuri whined. 

Phichit chuckled. “But it’s true, isn’t it? Tell me it’s not true.” 

Yuuri blushed, but didn’t argue. Considering he was pole dancing while imaging Victor as inspiration, he couldn’t deny what his motivation was. 

Interrupting the brief silence, Phichit continued, “Your silence tells me all I need to know.” He sighed dreamily. “I can’t believe I get to be a part of such a beautiful love story.”

“Phichit…” 

“Thank you for blessing me with this information.” Phichit was still chuckling happily. 

“Consider it payment for helping me find my free skate music,” Yuuri relented. 

“Deal!” 

Phichit was either going to come up with something perfect, or something horribly embarrassing. Either way, it was bound to be an interesting season.


	3. Passion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phichit helps Yuuri pick a song for his free skate...and Yuuri heads to the CSK championships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey it's been a while. I've been in a really bad slump and just not in a good mental place in general. Then today I logged in to AO3 and saw a bunch of the wonderful comments you all have been leaving and it made me so happy. Knowing that there are people so invested in my writing really means a lot to me and inspired me to finish this chapter. I promise I have not abandoned any of my WIPs, it just may take me a long time to get through them. Thank you all for sticking with me <3

It turned out that asking Phichit for help was both the best and worst decision Yuuri could have made. He definitely had more options for songs than before the conversation with his friend, but he also had to deal with being sent ridiculous suggestions at every hour of the day. Yuuri would wake up to his phone buzzing and a YouTube link from Phichit. Some of Phichit’s suggestions were fine, just not quite right, others were ridiculous.

“Phichit!” Yuuri groaned for the umpteenth time, “I can’t skate to that!”

“Why not?” Phichit countered. “It’s sexy, unique, and will definitely impress Victor!” 

Yuuri rolled his eyes, which Phichit could see because they were FaceTiming. “All that may be true, but there’s no way the ISU would let me use that song.” As if on cue, the song returned to the chorus again. 

_ 'Cause I may be bad but I'm perfectly good at it _

_ Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it _

_ Sticks and stones may break my bones _

_ But chains and whips excite me _

“Ok, so maybe it’s a little raunchy,” Phichit admitted. 

“A little?” 

“Ok, a lot,” he relented. “But it would get everyone talking!” 

Groaning, Yuuri responded, “Yeah, and it would probably also get me banned.” 

Through the phone screen, Yuuri saw Phichit flop back on his bed, looking frustrated. “This is harder than I thought!”

“You’re telling me,” Yuuri mumbled. “There’s a reason I asked you for help.” 

Phichit hummed in agreement. “I get it now. I just thought you were being dramatic.”

“Hey!” 

Phichit grinned. “Aw, you know I love you!”   
  


“Yeah, yeah.” Yuuri rolled his eyes again, but smiled fondly at his friend. 

“Anyway,” Phichit continued, “I do have a few more options.” He fiddled around, then started another song. A guitar-heavy beat started, almost filling Yuuri with the urge to start head banging. 

_ Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on _

_ Livin' like a lover with a radar phone _

_ Lookin' like a tramp, like a video vamp _

_ Demolition woman, can I be your man? (your man) _

Yuuri tried to picture himself skating to the 80’s classic, but he just couldn’t see it. He wrinkled his nose. What would he even wear? Leather pants and face paint? He might be getting out of his comfort zone this season but that didn’t mean he was ready to try everything. 

Phichit picked up on his discomfort. “Ok, not that one. How about this?” The rock song cut off and a very different beat started. 

_ I'm telling you to loosen up my buttons, babe (Uh-huh!) _

_ But you keep fronting, uh _

_ Sayin' what you gon' do to me (Uh-huh!) _

_ But I ain't seen nothing _

_ I'm telling you to loosen up my buttons, babe (Uh-huh!) _

_ But you keep fronting, uh _

_ Sayin' what you gon' do to me (Uh-huh!) _

_ But I ain't seen nothing _

It wasn’t a bad choice, but Yuuri still just didn’t feel right about it. It would definitely fit well with  _ Intoxicated _ , but maybe too well. He didn’t want to skate songs that were too similar. He told Phichit as much.

“Fair enough. Here’s the next.” Phichit started the next song. “This is inspired by the story you told me about the banquet.” An upbeat pop song started playing.

_ There's a stranger in my bed _

_ There's a pounding my head _

_ Glitter all over the room _

_ Pink flamingos in the pool _

_ I smell like a minibar _

_ DJ's passed out in the yard _

_ Barbie's on the barbecue _

_ This a hickey or a bruise? _

_ Pictures of last night _

_ Ended up online _

_ I'm screwed _

_ Oh well _

_ It's a blacked out blur _

_ But I'm pretty sure it ruled, damn _

_ Last Friday night _

_ Yeah we danced on tabletops _

_ And we took too many shots _

_ Think we kissed but I forgot _

“Huh, that’s a little on the nose,” Yuuri responded. It would definitely be fitting, but it still wasn’t quite right. Skating to a catchy pop song was something young, up-and-coming skaters did, not semi-disgraced skaters on the verge of retirement. “Maybe for an exhibition, but I don’t think it quite fits.”

Phichit looked a little disappointed. “Damn, I thought that would be the one. Ok, I have a few more.” Another song started, very different from the rest. A soft piano flowed through the speakers for a few moments, and Yuuri recognized the song instantly. Phichit frowned, and turned the sound off. “Whoops, don’t know how that got here.” He went to start a new song.

“Wait!” Yuuri called out so quickly he startled his friend. “That’s it. That’s the one.” 

Phichit gave him a look. “What? Seriously?” 

“Yes,” Yuuri replied resolutely. “It’s perfect.”

“It’s not sexy,” Phichit countered. 

“It doesn’t have to be sexy,” Yuuri mumbled.

“But you said it was supposed to be!” 

Yuuri shook his head. “No I didn’t! I just said my short program was. They don’t both have to be sexy.” 

Phichit still didn’t seem convinced. “It’s still really different from what you’ve told me about your short program. Plus it’s kind of…”

“Kind of what?” 

“Cheesy?” Phichit admitted. 

Yuuri disagreed. “I don’t think so. I think it’s the perfect contrast.” All of a sudden, an idea hit him. “I know what my theme is going to be.” 

Phichit’s eyes lit up. “Do tell!” 

Yuuri shook his head. “Not yet.” 

After a brief flash of disappointment, Phichit started grinning. “Well, now you’ve got me intrigued!”

“I just hope I’m not making a terrible mistake,” Yuuri sighed. 

“I think it will all work out,” Phichit replied contemplatively. “Well, glad I could help, even if I didn’t technically pick out the song or you.” 

Yuuri smiled at his friend. “I really appreciate it. I just hope Chris is ok with it.”

“From what you’ve told me I think he will be,” Phichit reasoned. “He seems like he just wants you to pick something you like.” 

“I hope so.” After that, the two of them lost track of time talking about the upcoming season. Phichit was skating to songs from  _ The King and the Skater _ , which he’d always wanted to do. Yuuri was thrilled for him. Phichit was clearly excited, but was keeping the details of his program as secretive as Yuuri. He had a sparkle in his eye that told Yuuri that his friend would be a real contender this season. 

Eventually, they had to say goodbye. Yuuri was looking forward to many things this season, but getting to see his best friend again was up near the top of the list. He really missed being able to hang out with Phichit after practice and eat greasy American food together. They just had to make sure they both made it to the GPF so they could compete against each other at their best. 

Following his conversation with Phichit, the next step was to tell Chris what he’d chosen. Despite Phichit’s reasoning that Chris would accept whatever Yuuri chose, Yuuri found himself nervous. What if Phichit was right and the song was too cheesy? What if Chris didn’t like his idea for his theme? Yuuri buried his face into his hands, groaning. He wanted to continue to stew, and maybe give himself time to talk himself out of his choice, but he didn’t have any more time to waste. If he didn’t pick a song now, he’d never be ready for his first competition. 

With a deep breath, Yuuri queued up the song on his phone, then left the comfort of his room. He made his way to his coach’s room and knocked on the door. Chris called out for him to enter, and Yuuri reluctantly did as he was bid. Chris was sitting up on his bed, reading a book with Belle curled up in his lap. He looked at Yuuri curiously. 

Swallowing hard, Yuuri stepped forward to hand his phone to Chris. “I picked a song for my free skate,” he explained. “I know it’s kind of a weird choice. I have an idea.” 

Chris didn’t say anything, accepting the phone from Yuuri. He started the song, his eyebrows raising in surprise. His expression changed a few times throughout the song, but Yuuri couldn’t figure out what he was thinking. Occasionally he’d nod, or close his eyes like he was picturing something. When the song finally ended, he looked up at Yuuri with a neutral expression.

“It’s certainly different from your short program,” Chris commented. 

Yuuri fidgeted nervously. “Yes, but I think it will work.”

To Yuuri’s immense relief, Chris nodded. “I agree. I think it’s a great contrast.” He grinned. “I can’t imagine what--or who--inspired this choice,” he teased. 

Yuuri blushed. “Well, I figured if my inspiration worked for my short, it would work for my free skate. Is it too much?”

“Not at all,” Chris insisted. “I can pretty much guarantee Victor’s programs will be about you this season. He always wears his emotions on his sleeve, most people just don’t notice.”

“I had no idea,” Yuuri admitted. He blushed again as he thought about Victor skating programs about him. Would they be angry? Longing? Vengeful? Victor had been extremely tight lipped about what he was skating this season, so Yuuri didn’t have anything to go off of. 

Chris interrupted his thoughts. “Now we just need to think of a theme.” 

“I actually know what I want my theme to be,” Yuuri stated. 

Curious, Chris asked, “And what would you like it to be?”

“Passion.” 

\-------------------------

It was quite fortunate that Yuuri ended up picking a song with a different tone than his short program. Chris had apparently expected him to stick with something upbeat and sultry, and had been picking out a costume to match. He showed the picture to Yuuri one day, lamenting that it would no longer suit the song choice. Yuuri couldn’t even pretend to be upset. The costume was quite revealing, to the point that Yuuri had to look at the ISU’s official rules to see if it would have even been allowed. When he told Chris his concerns, his coach just grinned and shrugged. 

Since a low cut, mesh lined bodysuit was absolutely not appropriate for his new song choice, it was a moot point. Still, that left the problem of trying to figure out what exactly to wear. He and Chris went back and forth a few times, disagreeing on what would be the best fit for Yuuri. Chris was still trying to push the envelope a little, but Yuuri insisted that they needed a more tasteful, subdued option for his free skate. They did eventually compromise, even if the costume ended up being a bit flashier than what Yuuri was used to. The main colors were dark shades, like he preferred, but the assortment of rhinestones and sparkles would be very eye catching in the spotlight.

  
  


Once music and costume were settled on, all that was left to do was practice for the first competition of the season. Yuuri had sheepishly explained to Chris that he’d have to participate in a regional competition due to his awful performance the previous year, but Chris didn’t seem too bothered. He told Yuuri it would be a good warm up to hopefully help get his confidence back. 

Yuuri had to admit he was a little disappointed that his programs would be revealed at such a low-level competition, but Chris was right that it would be better to ease his way back into skating. His confidence was already shaken, and everything he was doing this year was so different that part of him still wanted to just hide away and keep anyone from seeing his program. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for Yuuri, the CSK Championships came up quickly, not giving him the opportunity to back out. 

Before he knew it, he and Chris were headed to their first competition together as coach and student. Minako was accompanying them, if only to be a grounding presence for Yuuri. No one had seen his programs yet, besides the Nishigoris and Minako, so there was a lot of pressure for his first competition. The media had been buzzing about what kind of performance he and Chris had put together, particularly because they all seemed to be convinced that the two of them were lovers. Every other headline about the upcoming skating season was either about Yuuri and Chris, or the “love triangle” between Yuuri, Chris, and Victor. Between Victor’s Instagram post and Chris’s presence as Yuuri’s coach, the media was having a field day. None of them had made an official statement about what was going on, but both fans and reporters alike were speculating why Victor posted the picture of him and Yuuri, and what that had to do with Chris's sudden transition to coaching. Every article about them seemed to be nitpicking any interaction they’d ever had. The photo of Yuuri and Victor seemed to be throwing them off, because as far as the public was concerned they’d never interacted, so it was spawning some wild theories about him and Victor being secret lovers. 

Chris insisted that the attention was a good thing, but Yuuri didn’t miss how his friend would glance worriedly at his phone from time to time. From what Yuuri could gather, Victor was still not speaking to him. For as much as Chris tried to act nonchalant about it, Yuuri could see that it was getting to him. He tried to picture himself and Phichit in Chris and Victor’s place, and it made him anxious just thinking about a rift between himself and his best friend.

Yuuri assumed the CSK championships would be fairly subdued since it was not an international, or even national level competition. He wasn’t even sure if it was being broadcasted on more than just a few local television stations. There would probably barely be any reporters there. 

Or so he thought. When Yuuri and Chris arrived at the small rink, chaos ensued. There were people camped out in front of the doors, cheering and waving when Yuuri and Chris stepped out of their taxi. Reporters were yelling questions in multiple languages, and TV cameras hovered around him, trying to get the best angle. Yuuri gawked at the crowd, while Chris just smiled and waved. He was clearly much more used to the attention than Yuuri.

“This is supposed to be a small regional competition!” Yuuri complained. “They must all be here for you,” he reasoned. 

Chris threw an arm around him. “They’re here for  _ us _ ! Smile for the cameras, Yuuri!” 

Even if his feelings for his coach were entirely platonic, the combination of media attention and close proximity from his friend had him blushing. He couldn’t help it, the whole situation was embarrassing and ridiculous. He would be skating against teenagers! Young skaters just starting to reach their stride. Why would the media want to film this, even if he and Chris had been the subject of media gossip for the past few months? 

Yuuri’s ears were ringing from all the noise. He couldn’t remember ever drawing this much of a crowd, even in Sochi. Victor and Chris definitely did, but not Yuuri. He felt like he was going to drown in all of it. It was so overwhelming, hearing the questions about his personal life being shouted from all directions. The questions about his skating were less intrusive, but he didn’t want to stop and answer them because that would leave him too vulnerable. 

“Just keep walking,” Chris murmured, waving cheerfully with his free hand. His other arm was still slung around Yuuri’s offering a quick squeeze of encouragement. Yuuri got the feeling Chris was trying to keep him from bolting.

Finally, the pair made it inside. Unlike larger competitions, there wasn’t a separate entrance for the athletes and their coaches. The arena was too small. Fortunately, the crowd inside was smaller, but they all started whispering and pointing as soon as they saw Yuuri and Chris. Yuuri kept his head down until they made it to the roped off competitors only area, and Yuuri noted that there was more security than expected for such a small event. They helped keep the crowd at bay so skaters could get through. A few teens with gear bags slung over their shoulders were looking shell shocked, clearly not expecting the large crowd anymore than Yuuri was. 

One of them, however, looked like he was having the time of his life. The younger skater looked vaguely familiar to Yuuri, but he couldn’t quite place where he’d seen the red streak and exuberant energy before. The teen was babbling at his coach, who nodded along absent-mindedly. Yuuri couldn’t hear what was being said over the ambient noise in the room, but he could tell the other skater was excited. Every so often the teen would stop and take a selfie either with a fan, or in front of a group of reporters. He must be one of the top skaters here tonight to be recognized so much. 

The teen’s excitement over the crowd was nothing compared to when he noticed Yuuri. It seemed impossible that the younger skater’s smile could get any wider, but it did. Yuuri swore he only blinked, and then there was a chattering, bouncing teenager in front of him speaking a mile a minute. 

“Ohmygosh I can’t believe you’re here! And I get to skate against you!” The teen practically swooned. “This is so amazing, and you’re amazing, and I know your programs will be amazing! What’s your theme? What’s your short program called? No one knows anything and I  _ have to _ know!” 

“Uh.” Yuuri answered intelligibly. What was he supposed to say to this kid? He glanced to his coach for help, but Chris just shrugged at him. 

The teen was bouncing on the balls of his feet, staring up at Yuuri with stars in his eyes. “You’re even more incredible in person, this is the best day of my life!” 

Yuuri didn’t know how him gaping like a fish was exciting, but clearly the other skater was enjoying it. “I, uh, it’s a surprise,” he finally answered. That was true, but he was also dying to end this conversation.

Clearly, the younger skater wasn’t dissuaded. He started talking a mile a minute, leaving Yuuri only catching every other word. He got the impression that the kid was talking about him, but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out why. 

He must have been asked a specific question, because all of a sudden the teen was looking at him expectantly. Yuuri just glanced away awkwardly, wishing for a way out.

To Yuuri’s surprise and confusion, the teen’s face fell. Whatever had been asked, clearly Yuuri hadn’t given the desired response. “Oh,” the teen said flatly. “You don’t remember me?” 

Was he supposed to? It seemed like he should remember meeting someone this energetic, but his mind was coming up blank. Yuuri didn’t have time to think about it anymore, because a voice broke through the chaos of the crowd. 

“Kenjirou Minami, get over here right now!” A stern voice called out. The younger skater’s coach was glaring at him with her arms crossed. “We talked about this.” 

The name was enough to jog Yuuri’s memory. This kid beat him at Nationals. Handily. He glanced back at Minami, who was staring at him with a watery expression. Was he that upset about Yuuri not remembering him? Why would he care? Yuuri’s performance had been so abysmal, he’d tried himself to forget about it. Everything else at nationals was just kind of fuzzy.

“Sorry,” Yuuri finally offered. “I’m Katsuki Yuuri.”

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Minami’s face fell, and his lip started quivering. He didn’t say anything else, all traces of his earlier excitement completely gone. The teen sulked over to his coach, who gave Yuuri and Chris an apologetic look, before leading Minami away. Minami spared one last glance toward him, still looking upset, then he turned a corner and was out of sight. Yuuri was left staring after him, totally confused.

“What just happened?” Yuuri felt like he was getting emotional whiplash.

“You disappointed a fan,” Chris replied. He was looking at Yuuri with a mix of sympathy and frustration. 

Yuuri laughed dryly. “A fan? Me? I doubt that.” 

“You’re Japan’s top skater,” Chris reminded him. “People look up to you, especially younger skaters.” 

With a shrug, Yuuri replied, “I guess. I can’t believe anyone would be excited about meeting me.” 

Chris frowned at him. “Do you remember telling me how you thought Victor didn’t recognize you in Sochi?” 

“Yeah, why?”

“How did you feel about that?” Chris pressed. “A fellow competitor, and one you admired no less, not recognizing you at a competition with a very small number of competitors?” 

Yuuri hated thinking about that feeling. “It was awful. Like a slap in the face.” He looked up at his coach curiously. “What does that have to do with--oh.” The realization hit him. “I messed up, didn’t I?” 

Chris pat him on the back sympathetically. “Yes, you did.”

“I didn’t mean to!” Yuuri insisted. “I just get in my own head. I barely remember anything about Nationals, it was so awful. And I’m so nervous about today I just can’t afford to get distracted.” 

Chris frowned at him. “Inspiring younger skaters isn’t a distraction, it’s a privilege,” he replied sharply. 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Yuuri promised. 

With a sigh, Chris’s expression softened. “I know. We’ve known each other for quite a long time, so I know how you can get before a competition.” He offered a reassuring smile. “Now, I have my first ever coach’s meeting to attend, will you be ok on your own?”

Nodding, Yuuri replied, “Yeah, I’ll be alright. Minako should be here somewhere.” 

“Good, we’ll catch up later.” His expression lightened. “Wish me luck? I imagine some of these stuck-up traditional coaches won’t be too happy to see me.” 

“Good luck,” Yuuri murmured as his friend walked away. They’d only been there for a few minutes and Yuuri had already made a mess of things. How typical. He didn’t have anything else to do, so Yuuri pulled out his phone to text Minako. Fortunately, she was on her way in, so Yuuri wouldn’t have to be alone long. Every minute alone was just more time to stew in his own stupidity. If a senior skater had treated Yuuri like he’d just treated Minami, he’d be heart broken. He  _ was _ heartbroken, Yuuri remembered, when he thought Victor didn’t recognize him. 

Eventually, a familiar sing-song voice cut through the crowd. “Yuuri!”

Offering a small, pained smile, Yuuri glanced up at his mentor. “Thanks for coming, Minako.” He tried to be as upbeat as possible.

Minako didn’t buy it, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Nervous already?” She glanced around, then grabbed Yuuri by the elbow, dragging him further into the competitor’s area. “I know just what you need.” 

“I can walk!” Yuuri insisted, but made little effort to free himself from Minako’s grip. 

She opened doors as they walked, clearly looking for something. Yuuri was fairly certain she wasn’t supposed to be poking around back there, but Minako didn’t seem to care. When they reached a large conference room, Minako pulled him inside. She clicked the lock on the door and closed the blinds. Then, she pushed a bunch of chairs aside and grabbed Yuuri’s gear bag, tossing it on the nearby table. She clapped her hands one time, and Yuuri knew what she wanted; she wanted him to dance. 

The room muffled the sounds from outside, and no one could see through the blinds. The lock appeared secure, so no one could barge in. Yuuri felt tension leave his body, and he smiled gratefully at Minako. She had managed to find him a quiet, secluded room in the middle of a busy arena so he could clear his head. 

At first, Minako let him warm up and stretch out however he wanted. When she was apparently satisfied that he was limber enough, she clapped once again. “Let me see your short program,” she demanded.

Yuuri nodded, falling into the opening position. He heard the music in his head and was just starting to lean into the first movement, when Minako interrupted him with a stern, “Wrong!”

“I haven’t done anything yet!” He protested. 

Minako shook her head, unimpressed. She flicked his ear. “Haven’t I taught you anything? You’re performing the moment you step on the ice, not when the music starts. Your opening position sets the stage for the entire routine.” She pushed his hip and jabbed at his core, indicating she wanted him to tighten it. “Do you really want to start off this sloppy?” 

“No…” 

“Then do better.” She clapped again, and Yuuri reset. 

He couldn’t get into the motions. Minako would stop him every few beats, sometimes in the same place, sometimes in different places. Nothing he was doing seemed to satisfy her and he was starting to get frustrated. He had to perform this tonight, he really didn’t want to get so frazzled.

After another clap to reset, Yuuri relaxed his form, frowning. “This isn’t really helping me relax,” he told his mentor dryly. 

Minako crossed her arms. “So, do you want me to just step back and let you perform like a stiff, uncoordinated baby deer? Because that’s what you look like right now.” 

Well that seemed a little harsh. “I’m doing the best I can. It’s still early in the season.” 

Minako snorted. “No you’re not. You know this isn’t your best.” 

Yuuri threw his hands up in frustration. “This is different than anything I’ve ever done!” Yuuri argued. “I don’t know how to make it work!” 

“Yes you do,” Minako insisted. She put her hands on Yuuri’s shoulders. “Remember when you brought Chris into my studio? I saw a side of you that I’d never seen before, and I was damn impressed. Do I need to set up a pole on the ice to get you to figure this out?” 

Yuuri groaned, remembering how vulnerable he felt showing that side of himself to Chris and Minako. “I just don’t want to let everyone down,” Yuuri admitted quietly. “If I mess up, Chris looks bad. He’s my friend, I don’t want to do that to him. And Victor…” What was he supposed to say about Victor? That somehow he’d gotten tangled up in whatever persona Yuuri had created, and he didn’t want to disappoint the champion skater by not living up to it? 

Minako let out a sigh. “I don’t know what exactly is happening between you and Victor Nikiforov, but I do know that you have what it takes to pull this off.” She gestured for him to get back into position. “When you pole danced in front of Chris and me, it was like you were a different person. Whatever it was you thought about to get yourself into that mindset, this is no different.” 

  
  


Yuuri blushed, thinking about what had inspired him to put together an impromptu pole routine.  _ Victor _ . After all, this was all for him, right? He was Yuuri’s inspiration. Closing his eyes, Yuuri thought about the picture of the two of them dancing again. He remembered Victor’s Instagram post:

_ That feeling when you find out a moment that meant everything to you meant nothing to someone else. _

He still didn’t quite understand how or why, but he had Victor’s attention. He just needed to keep it. 

It was like Yuuri’s body moved on its own. He could feel that the movements were smoother, sexier even. By the time he was done, panting from the effort, Yuuri was shocked. He’d never skated or danced like that before. There had been glimpses of it during practice, but it had never come together like this. 

Yuuri was brought back to himself by the sound of slow clapping. Minako was grinning at him. “I knew you had it in you. Now, let’s run through your free skate a few times.” 

Minako managed to keep him busy, critiquing his technique and making last minute adjustments, until his phone chimed. Chris was done with his meeting and ready for Yuuri’s draw. He and Minako cleaned up the room, putting the chairs back where they’d found them. They parted so Yuuri could meet up with Chris, who was scrolling through his phone and leaning against a wall when Yuuri found him.

He looked up as Yuuri approached, raising his eyebrows. “You look far more relaxed than I expected.”

“Yeah I...I think I’m ready.” At least, for now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Your comments fuel me :D


End file.
